Wilson School, Class of 1938–1947

Wilson School building, Class of 1938-1947

This is a book I received that belonged to my Great Aunt Betty Oram Donaldson. I was not sure exactly what to do with it, other than share it for family history purposes. The photos in the book were not very high quality, but I am replicating them here anyway. Hopefully this history is of value to someone else who has family in the book.

“It’s a Great Life”

It’s the time in life for all of the Wilson School Class of ’47 to stop for a moment and realize that “It is a Great Life.”

We are matured and “aged” to the point that we are willing to accept that we are what we are. We realize that all of us have talents and abilities and that no two of us are alike, but that’s what makes us successful and happy. We are happy when we use our abilities and develop our talents.

In sports and business they often refer to “a level playing field,” meaning that both sides of the competition have equal opportunities. Therefore I believe that in life competition, the only “level playing field” is when we compete with ourselves. Our goal should be to do the very best we can, because no one else has the same talents, or abilities, or past experiences that we as individuals have. It has been said that we are the sum total of our past experiences. I believe our religious freedom and our constitution give us the opportunity to pursue success and happiness.

At the reunion dinner it was noted that all of us were satisfied with our accomplishments in life and most of us were in the service of others by actively volunteering in our churches, schools, civic organizations or other needy causes. Yes! It is true that most of us are involved in golfing, traveling, or other hobbies that we have looked forward to doing while preparing for these Golden Years. The time and resources to pursue and enjoy these activities make it “a Great Life.”

I am proud and honored that I attended Wilson School and associated with all of you there. From that small class we have many success stories and important things that we have done. Each of us has his or her own success story to be proud of whether it’s related to our families, our friends, our activities in church, our civic involvement, our involvement in other special organizations, or our career successes.

It has been said that when we die if we have five close friends that we have been successful in life, If that is true, then all who were part of the Wilson School Class of ’47 are successful individuals because of the friendships that we share today.

May each and every one of us continue to be successful and happy in our daily life, and always remember that it is a Great Life.

— R. B. (Bud) Willey, Class of ’47 Student Body President


History of Wilson School Class, 1938 to 1947

Many of you attended your very first school years in another school. As each one came to Wilson we became friends and so your memories will begin where you started. For a few of us our total elementary school experience was in the old Wilson School and that is why we started this memory book with the first grade.

First Grade, 1938–39

Our first grade teacher was Miss Dorothy Poulsen. She was young and pretty and we loved her. Our first grade class room was upstairs on the southwest corner. It was large with windows on the south and had wood floors. We had tables and chairs, a playhouse, a sand table and a space for a reading circle. We read from Dick and Jane books. We carried our lunches to school and stored them in a screened cabinet in the hallway. Many of us had Snowdrift shortening buckets for lunch pails. That year the front entrance of the school faced north with steps going toward the road. There was no cafeteria. First and second grades were excused at 2:00 p.m. to go home. That year we had two age groups in our class. We met with the children a year older than us. A doctor visited our class and checked our ears and throats. There were about 29 children in our room.

First grade class photo, 1938-39

Second Grade, 1939–1940

Our teacher was Miss Viola Poulsen. Our classroom was upstairs on the southeast corner with windows on the south and east and a fire escape outside. We had desks that year and reading circle space on the east. We learned reading, math and other subjects. The school district closed the Marriott-Slaterville School that year and those children came to our school, so we had one age group of children in our classroom. About this time in the second or third grade we began getting soup for school lunches. They brought buckets of soup to the classrooms and passed enamel bowls and spoons to each student and filled them with soup. That was the forerunner of school lunches. About this time the school was remodeled so that the entrance faced the east and the office was built where the north entrance had been. The bathrooms were downstairs in the basement.

Second grade class photo, 1939-40

Third Grade, 1940–41

Mrs. Folkman was our teacher. Our classroom was the upstairs northeast corner or the southwest corner. There were 29 children in the class.

Third grade class photo, 1940-41

Fourth Grade, 1941–42

These were the war years. Our teacher was Miss Chadwick. Our classroom was the upstairs middle room on the north. These war years were very hard. School was closed in the fall so the older school boys could help harvest farm crops. We went to school on Saturdays a while to make up the time. The older boys were soldiers and were drafted to fight Japan and Germany. Many of our brothers were soldiers. No school pictures were taken during our fourth, fifth and sixth grades because all resources were concentrated on helping the war effort.

Fifth Grade, 1942–43

Our teacher was Miss Vera Shaw. She was a superb teacher. Our classroom was the upstairs northeast corner. About the time of fifth or sixth grades they began school lunches and we had tables in the basement in the hallway. I don’t remember when the cafeteria was built.

Sixth Grade, 1943–44

Our teacher was Vera Shaw again. Our classroom was on the main floor southeast corner. As an activity one day we made butter by shaking cream in a bottle then we each had a cracker with butter on it. We learned reading, math, and spelling etc. It seems like part of this year we had Mrs. McGrath for a music teacher and we made a book of all the old music composers. We bought victory stamps and gave the government the money to help fight the war. A favorite game of the boys was marbles. Each boy took great pride in his collection of marbles and his skill at shooting. The girls played jacks. We had a rubber ball and a set of 12 or so jacks and we would sit on the floor in a circle or around a table and go clear through onseys, twoseys, downseys, under the bridge or over the bridge etc. Another favorite of the girls was jump rope. If you could do “Red Hot Pepper,” or “Double Dutch” without missing you could jump quite a while. To be able to run in and out without missing was a keen skill. The boys played baseball. Another favorite game was “Pop the Whip.” Boys and girls would hold hands “tight” and run in a snake line and try to pop the end person off. We took turns being on the end to be popped off. Another favorite was “Flying Dutchman”. We were in a circle and two people ran around the circle. If your hands were touched you ran to beat the other couple to the empty space. Another favorite in winter time in the gym was four-corner kick.

Seventh Grade, 1944–45

Miss Maude Holmes was our teacher. That year for a very short while we had a Mr. Carter who was unusual. He stole some of our lunch money. Our classroom was on the southwest corner of the main floor. Around this time the school district built the cafeteria on the south of the school. We blessed the food and everyone ate together and we learned dining etiquette. The mashed potatoes and hamburger gravy and chocolate cake were favorites.

Seventh grade class photo, 1944-45

Eighth Grade, 1945–46

Mrs. Woodward was our teacher. Our classroom was on the northwest corner of the main floor. There were 27 in our class. World War II ended and the United States began it’s healing process and the rebuild.

Eighth grade class photo, 1945-46

Ninth Grade, 1946–47

Mr. Leland Reese was our teacher and our classroom was on the northeast corner of the main floor. We were becoming sophisticated adolescents. Mr. Reese taught us first aid. Mr. Wheat Taylor was our principal. Mr. Pettigrew was the orchestra teacher and some of us played instruments. We had basketball and baseball games against the other schools on Fridays.

Wilson School was a safe and healthy environment for children to grow. The teachers respected our childhood and watched over us with kindness. Every year each class in the school participated in a school program. Mr. Arthur Taylor was our principal in the early years. A Mr. Chadwick was principal for a time. Wheat Taylor was principal in our later years and helped prepare us for high school. All in all we had a memorable early school experience and look back at those fun years with fondness.

Ninth grade class photo, 1946-47

Ninth Grade Class of ’47 Reunion in 2000

Drauca Marston Holmes, Lola Taylor Sheffield, Louise Holmes, Marilyn Bowman Garner, Betty Lou Buck Schulze, Emma Ropelato Walling, Nona Flitton Forsgren, Gladys Sorensen Gibson, Lila Stone Harwood, Robert Holmes, Gordon Belnap, Betty May Oram Donaldson, Rudell Willey, Jewel Checketts Atwell.

Reunion photos, Class of 47, 2000

Where Are They Now

GORDON “DUTCH” BELNAP

Gordon Belnap

Married Faye Robins in 1951. Three sons, Rob, Tim, Mike. Eight Grand kids. US Navy: Honorable Discharge. Weber Jr. College 2 years. Utah State: Grad 1958, Masters 1965. Coach, Utah State University 13 years. Athletic Director Weber State University. Faye passed away Aug. 1996. Married Karen Smith Sept. 1997. Hobbies: woodworking, golf, travel, volunteer 2nd grade teacher.

MARILYN BOWMAN GARNER

Marilyn Bowman Garner

I’ve had a good life. I attended Weber College, married Don Butler and had 2 children, Kathy and Gary before leaving Ogden in 1956. We lived in Pocatello, Idaho before moving to Grand Jct. Colorado. During our 15 years in Colorado, I worked for a wholesale drug company and the last year as office manager, bookkeeper for an ophthalmologist. While living there Vickey and Jodi were born. Our son was killed in a car accident in 1968 and in 1971 Don and I were divorced. I moved with my girls to Salt Lake in 1973 where I spent the first 4 plus years as office manager/legal secretary for an attorney. Then I went to work for Salt Lake County. When I retired in 1999, I was fiscal manager for the SLC Public Works Department. I married Clair Garner in June of 2000. We plan to keep up the good life with travel, golf, volunteer work, genealogy and enjoying our 9 grandchildren.

BETTY BUCK SCHULZE

Betty Buck Schulze

When I left high school, I married Marler Williams. A boy, Monte B. was born of that marriage. Marler died 8 months after Monte’s birth. I went to work at HAFB to support myself and Monte. While working at Hill, I completed my schooling at Utah State University. I married Willard Smith. One son, Donald was born of that marriage. After Donald’s birth I returned to work at Hill. I worked as a supervisor for several years, then selected to study under Dr. Fredrick Herzberg, Distinguished Professor of Management from University of Utah. Under Dr. Herzberg’s guidance I completed a Masters Degree Equivalent in Industrial Psychology then taught Organizational Development, Air Force wide. I retired from HAFB with 25 years service. Willard and I traveled for 8 years prior to his death from cancer. I am now married to Hugo Schulze. We are enjoying our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I love to golf and play every chance I get. I have played on bowling leagues in the past. I had a wonderful time golfing with my past friends, especially Dutch Belnap, at the Weber High Golf day in 2000.

JEWEL CHECKETTS ATWELL

Jewel Checketts Atwell

I was engaged my senior year, and married Daryl Hendrick on June 19, 1950. We settled in Layton and had 4 girls and 2 boys. I played on the church softball team until I tore the cartilage in my knee, then I helped coach. We moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I started my dream of becoming a nurse. I worked 25 years in all areas of nursing, really enjoyed it, and learned a lot. Daryl passed away in June ’68. That was the year I met Gene. I married him in Nov. ’78. He is my best friend, lover and husband. He’s really been good through all the surgeries I’ve had. Gene had 4 children and our families are like one big family, all getting along well. These 21 years have been so happy! We have a total of 10 children, 26 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Gene is now retired from US West [Quest] and we live in Roswell, New Mexico.

JOHN EILANDER [JACK]

John Jack Eilander

Upon my graduation from high school, I married and went into the US Army. After my release from the Army, I went to work for 3 years at the Ogden Arsenal. Subsequently, I was hired by Weber State University, where I retired in 1992 after 38 years of service. I am the father of 6 children, grandfather of 11 grandchildren and great grandfather of 10 great grandchildren.

NONA FLITTON FORSGREN

Nona Flitton Forsgren

After graduating from high school, I got a job at a 5 and dime store for a short time before the opportunity came for me to take employment at Hill Air Force Base as a sheet metal mechanic. I had met my husband, Judd, at a senoir class party. After dating for some time we were married in 1953. I quit work to have our family of 3 daughters. We lived in Ogden and Willard then back to the Ogden area of Kanesville, West Haven. About the time our girls were in school, I again had a chance to return to my old job of riveting. I worked on the F4’s and F16’s. After 22 years of enjoyable service at HAFB, I retired in 1987. I have been busy since, wondering how I had time to work. Judd and I have traveled long and short trips, taken cruises and just the summer of 2001 traveled to Sweden, my husbands long time desire. I have served as Relief Society President in our ward and am enjoying my grandchildren as well as all the family. We have much fun and enjoyment with them. They are the greatest.

ROBERT WILLIAM HOLMES — February 17, 1932

Robert Holmes, young
Robert Holmes, older

(“Where he’s at, there’s mischief” . . . “Bob” . . . likes any back seat . . . not a lone wolf . . . Windy’s always with him . . . they work together . . . that smile! . . . is the key to many locked doors . . . for Bob.)

Born and raised in Wilson, my Father passed away when I was 10, I was left to run the farm, which I did after school and during the summer months.

After graduating from High School I joined the Navy for a 4 year term. During the time I was in the Navy I was in several places in and around Formosa (Taiwan), Korea, Japan and China. It was very educational for me, seeing other countries and other cultures. In the Navy I was assigned to the aircraft carrier, USS BOXER, for eight months we cruised the seas patrolling the waters and land around the foreign countries. The rest of the time I spent in San Diego at Miramar Air Force Base and Point Mugu at Oxnard, California. I learned lots and seen lots during these eight years.

While in Point Mugu, I went a place called Jockey Meads, a resort between Oxnard and the San Fernando Valley, where I met Dorothy Lou Bates. I was invited to church in the Valley and stayed to a fireside at the Bishop’s house. My relationship with Dorothy continued and we were Married on July 17, 1953 in the Logan Temple. We have been blessed with five beautiful daughters, three son-in-laws and twelve grandchildren, six boys and six girls.

After my duty in the Navy, I enrolled in college at Utah State Agricultural College, halfway thru my years there they changed the College to a University, now called Utah State University. I graduated with a BS degree in Industrial Arts Education with a minor in Math after four years. The next summer I started my Masters Degree and a couple years later I finished my Masters in School Administration with a minor in Industrial Arts Education.

I was an Industrials Arts Teacher and taught wood shop for 35 years, retiring in June 1993. I was also a General Contractor for many years building houses and other structures.

I was the Chairman of the Wilson area planning committee for 14 years.

I was on the Weber County Board of Adjustments from 1988 until 1995, chairman of the board from 1990 until 1995. I also served on the Weber County Boundary Commission for one term.

I was the facilitator in organizing and establishing WEST HAVEN CITY – 1990. We became a city in July 1991 and I was the first Mayor serving for three years. While Mayor, I tried to get the city to agree to the sewer and secondary water but no one thought that was important and no one needed it, now, in the year 2001, it is needed and being put in the ground.

Keeping active in politics, I am currently the chairman of the WEST HAVEN SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT. Working with the city makes me feel like I have accomplished a great deal in my life and I enjoy what I am now doing. I am excited about every piece of pipe that is laid in the ground.

LOUISE HOLMES

Louise Holmes

I’m still Louise Holmes, having never changed my name. Following high school I attended Weber College and received an A.S. Degree. Then I attended USAC and received a B.S. Degree. After teaching school for 10 years I went back to what is now USU and received a Masters of Education Degree. After 33 years of teaching school I retired. I have spent part of my time volunteering as a tutor for children ages 6 through high school. I’m still recognized by many of my former students. They always stop for a visit. Traveling has always been fun for me. I’ve taken many tours and have met people who still remain my friends. For the past 23 years I’ve made my home at the Three Fountains Condominiums in North Ogden

JoANNE HOWE GEARY

JoAnne Howe Geary

Since graduation in 1950 my life has been pretty good. I got married in ’52 and had my first boy in ’53, another boy in ’55 and girls in ’59, ’60, and ’66. They are all grown now and in their own homes. We have 11 grandchildren, 6 girls and 5 boys. My husband and I took our children to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in ’75. We’ve been to Catalina Island off California 4 times. We like to travel when we can to visit our daughter and her family. My husband and I, for the most part, live a very quiet life. Don, my husband, likes gardening and watching video movies. I like to cook, do puzzles and watch quiz shows and video movies, of which we have a large collection. My husband also likes to paint and sketch. Two years ago, after wearing glasses for 56 years, I had my eyes operated on and now I only need glasses for reading small print and driving. We’re going to California, San Bernardino to be exact, in April to see our youngest granddaughter get baptized. We like to travel when we can. We’ll be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary before the Winter Olympics in 2002. It will be a family affair.

CARMA KLINKE POINDEXTER

Carma Klinke Poindexter

I married Hugh H. Poindexter in Deer Lodge, Montana. He was a rancher and truck driver. I have three daughters, Denise, Kathy; and Ellie, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. I have lived in Ogden, Utah; Roy, Utah; Los Angeles, California; and Bountiful, Utah. My home has been in Bountiful, Utah for the past thirty-two years. My husband and I have drove truck together and traveled every state in the U.S. except the New England States and Hawaii. God has been good to me. We are retired Snowbirds now.

DRAUCA MARSTON HOLMES

Drauca Marston Holmes

Drauca and Wayne Holmes were married in October following our graduation. Drauca worked as a secretary while Wayne attended Weber College. They moved to Logan where Wayne graduated as an electrical engineer. Drauca was an Executive Secretary for the Cache Co. Dept of Public Welfare. Wayne was commissioned into the Air Force and they lived in California and New Mexico for the next four years. Drauca was a stay-at-home Mom. They moved to Brigham City in 1959. They have four children and 14 grandchildren. Drauca worked as an Executive Secretary for Thiokol, NASA and the Air Force, performed semi-professionally for six years, graduated from Weber State University in Theater and developed the Heritage Theatre in Perry, Utah, for which she was the Executive Director for 23 years. She and Wayne retired in 1994 and have served an LDS Mission to the Family History Library in SLC.

BETTY MAY ORAM DONALDSON

Betty May Oram Donaldson

My name is Betty May Oram Donaldson. I have lived in the Honeyville and Ogden areas during my younger years. I attended the Honeyville Elementary School and the Wilson Lane School, then the Weber High and Box Elder High Schools. After school I worked as a dental assistant and then a medical assistant until retiring at 62. I married David W. Donaldson in 1953. We built a home in Plain City, Utah and have lived there for 49 years. My hobbies are cooking, working in my flower gardens, fly fishing and all other outdoor sports.

EMMA ROPELATO WALLING

Emma Ropelato Walling

After graduation I went to work for Hill Air Force Base where I met my husband Richard J. Walling. We married Aug. ’53 and I continued working until Dec. ’54 at the birth of our son Dean. Our daughter Terry arrived Jan. ’56. I was able to stay home to rear the children until ’64. Then I went to work at the I.R.S. seasonally until I retired in ’90. My husband passed away in 1972 and my son died in an auto accident in ’93. I sold my home and moved in with my aging parents to help care for them until their deaths in ’96 and ’00. I now plan to visit my family in California and will enjoy traveling to long dreamed of places and spending time with my six grandchildren.

PAUL STOKES

Paul Stokes

I married Mary Jean Miller June 1961 and we have two daughters, Julie Ann, 34 and Lisa Marie, 31. We have two grandchildren, Heather Lynn Beasley 8, and Nicholas Ryan Bronch 17 months. I graduated from Utah State University with a BS degree. I majored in education and minored in Psychology. I taught school for a total of seven years. I also was in the Air Force Reserve for seven years. We moved to Ward, Arkansas in 1965, where we owned and operated a dairy farm for 12 years, then went into the mobile home park business in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and have been renting mobile homes for the past 17 years. We are now semi-retired and have moved back to the farm in Ward. My hobbies are music, dancing and most of all watching the Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball teams play.

LILA STONE HARWOOD

Lila Stone Harwood

I married Jack Harwood 52 years ago. One year later we had our only child, a son, Keith Harwood. He gave us 4 wonderful granddaughters. Our 3 older girls blessed us with 6 great grandchildren, 3 more girls and 2 boys. My husband retired a few years ago, but still works part time, which is nice for both of us.

GLADYS SORENSEN GIBSON

Gladys Sorensen Gibson

After graduating from Weber College with an Assoc., I married Gary Gibson in the Logan Temple. Our 4 children were born in ’54, ’56, ’58, and ’59, two girls and two boys. Our oldest daughter passed away in June, 1995. Gary traveled for HAFB fixing missile test equipment and I stayed at home with our children. In 1966 I was hired at Pioneer Elementary as librarian, so I went to school with our children. I cataloged the books and set up the library. It was on the job training. I read stories to the school children and taught library science. I worked there 15 years. I love children’s literature. In 1977 I enrolled at Weber State once again and in 1982 graduated with a BS in Elementary Education with a Library Endorsement. I was hired as a teacher at Kanesville Elementary in 1982 and taught second grade 13 years and retired in 1995. I have worked in many chruch positions the most recent being an ordinance worker in the Ogden Temple. I’ve been a member of 3 musical groups and performed as soloist and alto. Gary passed away in Oct., 2001. Now I enjoy making quilts, reading and my family. We have 3 living children, 13 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. I’m trying to keep busy and enjoy life..

LOLA TAYLOR SHEFFIELD

Lola Taylor Sheffield

What Have I been doing the last 50 years? After I graduated from Ogden High School, I took the Cosmetology Course at Weber College and finished after a year. Then I worked at a salon in downtown Ogden. The money was sporadic so when another job offer came at McKesson-Robbins Wholesale Drug House, I took it.

My brother was on a mission in New York and he suggested I come back to Palmyra to see the pageant, which I did. Among the many missionaries involved in the production was one Grant Sheffield from Kaysville, who I met while at the pageant. When he returned from his mission in December he called and came to visit to ask me for a date for New Year’s Eve. We continued to date through the next few months and we were married in June. Shortly after our marriage, Grant was inducted into Uncle Sam’s Service at Fort Ord, California. Our first daughter of three, Vickie, was born while we were at Fort Ord, followed by two more girls, Debbie, and a year later, Sherrie. (Three years after Debbie.)

After Grant graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Utah, he was hired at Thiokol in the design section. We bought a newly constructed home in Salt Lake- that was another story- commuting back and forth from Salt Lake to Brigham City. Everything went great for five or six years, then Thiokol went down the tube. We were the first wave of the unemployed.

Our neighbor had recently left Utah and went to Tempe, Arizona, and already had set up an interview for himself. So we packed up and went job hunting, hoping to have similar luck. But our trip continued on to California. Another friend we had been close to left a job in California and took a leave of absence when he went to Thiokol in Utah. He took his old job back, with Metropolitan Water District in California, as an engineer. He told us they were hiring and Grant was hired. He retired after 32 years. We bought a home in Brea, California, (Tar Town). Brea means tar in Spanish. (La Brea tar pits in Hollywood or Los Angeles County, not the same.) We lived in an old oil-producing town. Our son Jared was born ten years after our youngest daughter. It took all of us to raise him; he was one busy boy.

We have 8 grandchildren, 5 boys and 3 girls, one little great granddaughter. Most of the children and grandchildren live in Utah. The oldest and the youngest, with 6 of the grandchildren and the great grandchild, live in Utah. Our daughter Sherrie lives in Texas and we have one in California.

We have done a lot of traveling with our children. We have enjoyed traveling with our children to see aunts, uncles, cousins, who were living in Canada, and my sister and their children living in New York. We could travel the country and do lots of visiting and also Mexico was close by and fun to visit too. We continued our traveling after our children flew the nest. Also retiring gave us more time to travel the globe. We have enjoyed spending our vacations in many countries.

We have had a great 50 years and look forward to many more.

RUDELL WILLEY

Rudell Willey

Rudell married Barbara Hadley a few months after graduation on November 1, 1950. They have three children, one boy and two girls. They also have twelve grandchildren.

Rudell worked 35 years for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a brakeman-conductor traveling between Ogden and Carlin, Nevada. During those years Rudell was active in electrical contracting with a Master Electrician License. He was also involved in real estate development with a Real Estate Brokers License and a Commercial Property Managers License.

Rudell has enjoyed hunting in Alaska, Yukon Territories, Canada and the Western United States. fishing in Alaska and Mexico, flying his private airplane the past 34 years in Alaska (four times north of the Artic Circle) Mexico, Guatamala, Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands. Vern Smith accompanied him on many of these trips. Rudell is currently involved in activities in the L.D.S. Church, civic activities, The Quiet Birdmen (an international pilot organization) and Enable Industries, a handicapped facility. Rudell and Barbara now spend a lot of time traveling in their private plane and their motorhome.


In Memory of Our School Friends Who Are Gone But Not Forgotten

DOLORES HIPWELL CHARLTON

Dolores Hipwell Charlton

Dolores was married June 9, 1950 to Wayne Charlton from West Weber. They moved into a small home in West Weber. It caught fire and burned everything, wedding gifts, furniture and all. They then moved up to Wilson into a small home by her mother and dad on 2100. Later they built a nice brick home by her mother and dad. Wayne and Dolores had two children, Brent born in 1952 and LaRee born in 1954. Wayne worked at American Can and also became involved in race horses. He raised a very nice quarter horse from a colt and named her LaRee Bar and took her to Las Alemedas, California and won many races and made good money from her. A Dr. Allred helped Wayne get started in horse racing. They built another brick home on 2550 in Wilson with nice horse barns and then moved to California and raced horses. They did very well. Dolores loved Utah Noodle chow mein and ate a lot of it when they were in Ogden. They bought a ranch in California then sold it and moved to Oklahoma on a ranch. Their son Brent helped Wayne train race horses. Wayne is an expert on knowing the legs of race horses. Dolores was the bookkeeper. Late in 1992 the doctors discovered she had a cancer in her liver. Wayne had expert doctors attend to her but the cancer was too far advanced. They moved back to the house on 2550 and she died June 1, 1993 and was buried in West Weber Cemetery on June 5, 1993. Dolores and Wayne have five grandchildren.

LYNN JENSEN, 1932–1998

Lynn Jensen, military
Lynn Jensen, as a boy

Lynn Jensen served in the U.S. Army for three years. Fifteen months of which he spent in Korea, where he saw combat and was awarded the Bronze Star with V device for valor. He also was awarded the Occ. Medal, a Korean Service Medal with five bronze stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Following his military service, Lynn spent time in California and Utah. He married Betty Jo and has a stepson, Butch. He divorced and moved to Alaska, where he lived in Chugiak and Eagle River. He had been through engineer and demolition school in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He was a self-employed mechanic and machinist until he retired in 1996. He died December 2, 1998 from a stroke and was buried in Alaska. He was a very quiet man who would help anyone in need.

ROBERT WAYNE KIRBY

Robert Wayne Kirby

Robert Wayne Kirby was born in Brunswick, Missouri in 1932. In 1941 the family moved to West Ogden. He attended Wilson Elementary and Junior High School for 9 years. He graduated from Weber High School in May of 1950. Bob worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a fireman/engineer for a period of time. He also worked as a cabinet maker before becoming involved in the drywall trade. In about 1970 he moved with his wife to Elko, Nevada to work in the construction trades. This was a period of increased construction in the Elko, Nevada area due to the newly found gold mines in the surrounding area that brought an influx of workers. Later on Bob worked at the Commercial Hotel in Elko maintaining the gaming machines in the casino there. Bob died in an accident in 1974 in the Elko area and is buried by his parents in the Centerville, Utah Cemetery. He left behind three daughters and one son. Bob will always be remembered for his infectious smile that was always on his face and will be noted among his family, classmates and co-workers for his happy-go-lucky attitude and good-natured personality.

ARTHUR KRANENDONK

Arthur Kranendonk

Art died a very tragic death when his truck caught fire in an accident and burned. Art was married for a very short time and has one daughter. He worked for George Stratford and at the Sugar Factory. He was a very hard, steady worker.

FRANKLIN F. STANGER

Franklin F. Stanger

Served lds mission to Uruguay. Married Mada Lurae Waldron from Malad, Idaho. Father of 7 children, 3 girls and 4 boys. Employed as a salesman. Loved to fly an airplane. Passed away May 8, 1990. Lived in Weber County area all his life.

RUSSELL PACKARD

Russell Packard

When Russell was young, his dad owned the Oil Refinery in West Ogden. He was at the Ogden Rodeo when the announcer said his business was on fire. Everything was destroyed. The family moved to Astoria, Oregon. Russell went in the army and was assigned to guard duty on base in North Africa. His buddy was on guard duty. For a prank Russell kicked the guard shack. The buddy shot Russell dead without checking on who was kicking the shack.

JIM POULOS

Jim Poulos

Married a Greek girl, had one son and one daughter. He was office manager of Texaco Oil Co. in Salt Lake City until the company went out of business. He was stand offish and wanted nothing to do with his family. He was a bartender in Salt Lake City. He died about 15 years ago during open heart surgery, after having heart problems for several years.

SHELDON STAUFFER

Sheldon Stauffer

Sheldon married Colleen Bradshaw sometime between 1952 and 1953. His oldest daughter, Beverly, was born in 1954. His son Gary was born in 1957 and a daughter Shelley was born about 1960. He worked at Hill Field. He died sometime between 1975 and 1985.

MAURICE CHENEY

Maurice Cheney

No information is availabe for Maurice.

We could not find any information or the whereabouts of Vincent McEnerny or Rose Mary Ellsworth or Bill Saunders.

Vincent McEnerny
Rose Mary Ellsworth
Bill Saunders

VERN H. SMITH, August 24, 1932 – February 28, 1981

Vern Smith, young
Vern H. Smith portrait
Vern and Kay Smith

Born in Wilson Lane on August 24, 1932, grew up in Wilson on a farm, attended Wilson School for 9 years, Weber High School for 3 years, attended Weber College from 1950 to 1954, bought first farm in the spring of 1953 in Warden, Washington, served a 2 years L.D.S. Mission in the southern states, starting January 6, 1954.

Vern started farming in the spring of 1956 in Warden, Washington. Met his wife Kay Pratt in Moses Lake, Washington (14 miles from Warden) in 1956. They were married August 15, 1957 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Vern served in the L.D.S. Church as a Bishop, on the High Council, and in the Stake Presidency.

Vern and Kay had 7 children. They had two boys and five girls.

In 1968–1969 Vern was chosen “The Outstanding Young Farmer” in the state of Washington. At the time of his death he was raising beef cattle and farming approximately 1,300 acres of land.

Vern loved to travel, especially in his private plane (Piper Cherokee six) to Mexico.

On February 28, 1981, on the return trip from Mexico, his plane crashed, on Parker Mountain, just north of Escalante, Utah. All aboard, six adults, were tragically killed.

It has been said that, “The common people of the earth are the great people of the earth.” If that is true, then Vern Smith was among the greatest.


Wilson School Faculty

Wilson School Faculty

Row 1—Mrs. Stanford, Miss Shaw, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Bouwhuis. Row 2—Mrs. Secrist, Mrs. Woodward, Mrs. Sorensen, Miss Holmes. Row 3—Principal, Wheat Taylor, Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Rhees.


Wilson School 9th Grade Class of ’47 Directory

Directory page
NameAddressPhone
Jewel Checketts Atwell502 N. Mexico Drive, Roswell, New Mexico 88501(505) 624-1751
Gordon Belnap2338 Combe Road, Ogden, Utah 84403(801) 479-7793
Betty Mae Orem Donaldson2558 N. 4100 W., Plain City, Utah 84404(801) 731-3168
Jack Eilander1111 N. 2000 W., Ogden, Utah 84404(801) 731-2916
Nona Flitton Forsgren3703 S. 2700 W., West Haven, Utah 84067(801) 731-0123
Joanne Howe Geary2166 Polk Ave., Ogden, Utah 84401(801) 621-4152
Gladys Sorensen Gibson2294 S. 2300 N., West Haven, Utah 84401(801) 731-0590
Lila Stone Harwood2486 C. Ave., Ogden, Utah 84401—
Robert Holmes2297 W. 2550 S., West Haven, Utah 84401(801) 731-0564
Louise Holmes325 E. 2550 N., North Ogden, Utah 84414(801) 782-7753
Drauca Marsten Holmes75 N. 600 E., Brigham City, Utah 84302(435) 723-6459
Marilyn Bowman Garner7025 Sunburst Circle, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121(801) 943-8912
Carma Klinke PoindexterP.O. Box 373, Clearfield, Utah 84015—
Betty Lou Buck Schulze1111 E. 1150 S., Clearfield, Utah 84015(801) 825-8354
Lola Taylor Sheffield587 East Aspen, Brea, California 62621(714) 671-0335
Paul Stokes2205 Green Acres Road, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076(501) 982-2232
Emma Ropelato Walling1013 E. 5285 S., Ogden, Utah 84403(801) 479-2743
Rudell Willey1028 E. Brookhaven Dr., Kaysville, Utah 84037(801) 546-8880

(Note: addresses/phone numbers as printed in the original memory book — likely out of date by now, but preserved as a record of where the class was circa 2001–2002.)

In re Lugo

Decision: In re Jason Josue Lugo, Case No. 15-40121-JDP (Bankr. D. Idaho, 25 Jun. 2015)
Judge: Honorable Jim D. Pappas, United States Bankruptcy Judge
Counsel for Debtor: Paul Ross, Idaho Bankruptcy Law, Paul, Idaho
Chapter 13 Trustee: Kathleen A. McCallister, Meridian, Idaho
Trustee’s Counsel: Holly Roark, Office of Kathleen A. McCallister, Meridian, Idaho


Background

Jason Josue Lugo and his wife Lori married in 1996. In December 2003, Lugo acquired real property in Declo, Idaho, and in March 2004 conveyed it to himself and Lori by quitclaim deed. The couple built a home on the property that year and moved in with their family, establishing an automatic homestead exemption by virtue of their occupancy as a principal residence under Idaho Code § 55-1004(1).

In July 2012, Lugo moved out of the marital home due to irreconcilable differences. His family remained in the home. He did not record a declaration of non-abandonment. Under Idaho Code § 55-1006, six months of continuous vacancy creates a presumption of abandonment — meaning Lugo’s automatic homestead was presumed abandoned by January 2013. On 12 September 2013, a stipulated divorce decree was entered awarding Lori sole possession of the property, subject to the two existing mortgages and a $40,000 obligation to Lugo’s father. Under the decree, Lori was to refinance the mortgages within seven months and pay Lugo’s father in installments; if she could not refinance, the property was to be sold and the proceeds used to satisfy the parties’ debts. The decree did not expressly grant Lugo any continuing interest in the property. Pending refinance or sale, Lori was responsible for the first mortgage payments and Lugo for the second.

On 17 February 2015, before filing his bankruptcy petition later that same day, Lugo recorded a Declaration of Homestead on the Declo property with Cassia County. He then filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition claiming the property exempt as his homestead in the amount of $49,401.93 — the estimated equity — under Idaho Code §§ 55-1001, 55-1002, and 55-1003. His Chapter 13 plan proposed to sell the property and pay the secured creditors, with any nonexempt proceeds distributed to unsecured creditors. Lugo acknowledged he could not afford to continue making the second mortgage payments.


The Trustee’s Objection

The Trustee objected to the homestead exemption claim on two grounds: Lugo did not reside at the property — his petition listed his residence in Rupert, Idaho — and his Chapter 13 plan proposed to sell it, which the Trustee argued evidenced a lack of any intent to reside there. The Trustee contended that Lugo therefore did not qualify for the homestead exemption under either Idaho’s automatic or declared homestead provisions, and that the claim should be disallowed in its entirety.


The Debtor’s Response

Debtor’s counsel filed a response arguing that the homestead exemption was valid and that the Trustee had not met the burden of proof required to overcome it.

Counsel acknowledged that Lugo had vacated the property in 2012 and had not filed a declaration of non-abandonment, which created a rebuttable presumption of abandonment of the automatic homestead under Idaho Code § 55-1006. Counsel argued, however, that Lugo had done precisely what Idaho law provides as an alternative: he recorded a Declaration of Homestead with Cassia County, invoking the second track of homestead protection under Idaho Code § 55-1004. That provision permits an owner who is not currently occupying a property as a principal residence to establish a homestead by recorded declaration, provided the declaration states an intent to reside there. Lugo’s declaration did so, and the technical requirements of the statute were met.

On the plan-to-sell issue, counsel argued that the Trustee’s position ignored Idaho Code § 55-1008, which exempts proceeds from the voluntary sale of a homestead for up to one year when the debtor intends to acquire a new homestead. Lugo wished to preserve the equity in the property for use in acquiring a new home, and the homestead exemption should follow the proceeds accordingly.


The Court’s Ruling

Judge Pappas sustained the Trustee’s objection and disallowed the homestead exemption.

The Court began by tracing the two tracks through which Idaho law permits a homestead to be established. The first — the automatic or “springing” homestead — arises by operation of law from the moment a debtor occupies property as a principal residence, without any filing or formality. Idaho Code § 55-1004(1). The second — the declared homestead — permits an owner who is not presently occupying property as a residence to establish a homestead by recording a declaration stating an intent to reside there. Idaho Code § 55-1004(2). Both tracks were relevant here.

Lugo had unquestionably established an automatic homestead when he moved into the Declo property in 2004. But he vacated in July 2012 without filing a declaration of non-abandonment, and under Idaho Code § 55-1006 that homestead was presumed abandoned by January 2013. No automatic homestead survived. Lugo therefore could not rely on the first track and turned to the second.

The recorded Declaration of Homestead was facially sufficient. It satisfied each technical requirement of Idaho Code § 55-1004(3): it stated an intent to reside on the property, included a legal description, and provided an estimated cash value, and it had been properly recorded before the bankruptcy petition was filed. Under normal circumstances, that would be enough. The declared homestead is a recognized and legitimate mechanism, and the Court acknowledged that recording a declaration before filing is a conventional and proper way to establish a homestead exemption.

But the Court held that satisfying the statutory checklist does not end the inquiry when the exemption is contested. When an objecting party challenges the declaration, the Court must look behind its face and assess the quality and genuineness of the proof supporting it — in particular, whether the stated intent to reside is real. Here, because the parties proceeded on stipulated facts alone, with no live testimony from Lugo, the record was fixed. And that record told a story that was flatly inconsistent with any genuine intent to reside at the Declo property.

The divorce decree, entered more than a year before the bankruptcy filing, awarded Lori sole possession of the property and contemplated only two outcomes: refinancing or sale. No scenario in the decree provided for Lugo’s return. His bankruptcy plan reinforced the same conclusion — it proposed to sell the property, and if the sale failed, to surrender it. Lugo acknowledged he could not afford the mortgage. Nothing in the record suggested any realistic pathway by which he could or would live at the Declo property again. The declaration’s statement of intent to reside, the Court concluded, was not supported by the facts.

The Court also rejected the § 55-1008 sale-proceeds argument. That provision exempts proceeds from the voluntary sale of a homestead for the purpose of acquiring a new homestead — but it presupposes a valid homestead exemption in the first place. Because no valid homestead had been established, there was nothing to carry forward into the proceeds. Moreover, the record contained no evidence that Lugo intended to use any sale proceeds to purchase a replacement homestead. The Court found his true aim was to preserve equity against distribution to unsecured creditors — an understandable goal, but not one the homestead statutes were designed to serve.


Why This Matters

  1. Idaho’s two-track homestead system offers a genuine alternative to the automatic exemption. When an owner vacates a property and loses the automatic homestead through presumed abandonment, Idaho Code § 55-1004 provides a second path: recording a declaration of intent to reside. That mechanism is legitimate and used, and a properly recorded declaration ordinarily establishes the exemption. This case illustrates, however, that the declared homestead is not a rubber stamp. When the exemption is contested, the Court will look beyond the four corners of the declaration and assess whether the stated intent is genuine.

  2. The divorce decree can be the most important document in the file. A stipulated divorce decree that awards possession of the property to the other spouse and contemplates only refinancing or sale effectively closes the door on any claimed intent to return. Where no scenario in the decree provides for the debtor’s residency, that decree will be powerful — perhaps decisive — evidence against the homestead claim. Counsel evaluating a client’s homestead position after a divorce should read the decree carefully before advising that a recorded declaration will succeed.

  3. Failing to file a declaration of non-abandonment has lasting consequences. Idaho Code § 55-1006 gives a debtor who plans a long absence without intent to abandon the homestead a clear tool: record a declaration of non-abandonment. Lugo did not do so when he left in 2012, and by the time he filed for bankruptcy in 2015 the automatic homestead had been presumed abandoned for over two years. Practitioners advising clients who are leaving a marital home during separation or divorce proceedings should consider this step immediately.

  4. Live testimony on intent may be essential. The Court explicitly noted that because the parties stipulated to the facts and no live testimony was offered, Lugo had no opportunity to address his subjective intent to return to the property. Stipulated facts are efficient but inflexible — they cannot be supplemented after the fact. Where a homestead exemption contest turns on intent, practitioners should consider whether proceeding by stipulation forecloses testimony that might have been outcome-determinative.

  5. Idaho Code § 55-1008 requires both a valid underlying homestead and a genuine intent to acquire a replacement. The sale-proceeds exemption does not operate independently. It presupposes that the property being sold was validly exempt as a homestead. A debtor who cannot establish the underlying exemption cannot use § 55-1008 to protect sale proceeds. And even where the underlying exemption is valid, the proceeds exemption requires evidence of intent to use them to acquire a new homestead — a plan to sell, pay creditors, and retain equity does not qualify.


Full Decision: Available on PACER, Case No. 15-40121-JDP, Doc. 32 (Bankr. D. Idaho 25 Jun. 2015)

History of Plain City Pt 9

I have two copies of the History of Plain City, Utah. The front indicates it is from March 17th 1859 to present. As far as I can tell, the book was written in 1977. At least that is the latest date I can find in the book.

One copy belonged to my Grandparents Milo and Gladys Ross. My Grandpa has written various notes inside the history which I intend to include in parenthesis whenever they appear. They add to the history and come from his own experience and hearing. 

I will only do a number of pages at a time. I will also try to include scanned copies of the photos in the books. These are just scanned copies of these books, I have not tried to seek out originals or better copies.

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 141 through 149.

BONA VISTA IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

SUBMITTED BY FLOYD PALMER

              This most important new culinary water system has made life a little more pleasant in this community and surrounding areas. It was turned into the lines just a century after sturdy pioneer families first put together temporary shelters and tapped several sweet water springs which they found in the area.

              It replaces old flowing wells, bringing precious waster from the depths of the earth. In early days many deep and surface wells dug, covered over, and fenced off to keep children from falling in. They were first fitted with “pitcher” pumps, a short-handled affair which were the “pumper” out in a short time. Even the farm animals had to depend on well water pumped to the surface by hand.

              Later, the easier to work, long-handled pumps were installed. These were followed by power pumps connected to a small storage tank. This was the ultimate in a private water supply.

              In 1955, a Weber County man, Linn C. Baker, was a member of the State legislature. He is the one who sponsored the bill to create special improvement districts. The reason he was the sponsor of this bill was due to his work in the Health Department for the State of Utah. As he studied samples of water sent to him from the outlying towns, he became aware of the amount of contamination there was in the drinking water in certain areas, Plain City was among the highest on the list. This was traceable to shallow surface wells being used, also septic tanks with poor drainage.

              Soon after the Weber Basin Conservancy District was organized, Plain City wanted to purchase one-thousand-acre feet of water. Their request was held in abeyance until a line could be built from Ogden Canyon. This, however, was never done.

              Elmer Carver was on the executive committee of Weber Basin Project. Through the encouragement of Commissioner Carver, Mr. Ezra Fjeldsted, manager of Weber basin Project, and Linn Baker, all met with the Plain City Town Board to get something started. Floyd A. Palmer, a member of the Town Board, was asked to represent Plain City on a committee of surrounding towns in Weber and Davis counties. Mr. Ezra Fjeldsted acted as chairman of this group and several meetings were held in both counties which Mr. Palmer attended.

              Following this, a public meeting was held in Plain city. Farr West, and Harrisville were asked to join in. This was for the purpose of starting a culinary water system. The results of this meeting, from all groups attending, were to go ahead, also to contact other nearby towns and get their feelings about joining in.

              A series of meetings were held in Farr West, Harrisville, Slaterville, Marriott, Wilson Lane, and Plain City. Other towns were invited to attend. Ezra Fjeldsted represented Weber Basin, Floyd A. Palmer represented Plain City, Dick Groberg represented Farr West, Kenneth Brown represented Harrisville, Clifford Blair represented Marriott and Slaterville, and Arthur W. Sorensen represented Wilson Lane. The meetings were all met with a great deal of enthusiasm and interest.

              Plain City Town Board consisted of Lee Olsen, President, Floyd A. Palmer, Elvin H. Maw, Merrill Jenkins, Blair Simpson, as members. A culinary water system was a prime item of the agenda in 1956. The town board along with several local residents were well organized to promote the need for a water supply to replace the surface wells and pumps.

              On July 19, 1956, Elmer Carver, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Weber County, State of Utah, signed a certified documents that there be and is hereby created within Weber County, Utah, a Water Improvement District to be known and designated as the BONA VISTA WATER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, the same to embrace and include all real property lying within the following boundaries, to-wit: (SETS FORTH DETAILED LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WHICH BOUNDARIES EMBRACE LANDS HEREIN ABSTRACTED – Abstracter)

              That the following-named persons are appointed as the Board of Trustees of said Bon Vista Water Improvement District:

                               Floyd A. Palmer, Plain City

                               Richard Groberg, Farr West

                               Kenneth Brown, Harrisville

                               Clifford Blair, Marriott-Slaterville

                               Arthur Sorensen, Wilson Lane

              This resolution shall take effect immediately and shall be recorded in the office of the Weber County Clerk. Recorded August 22, 1956.

Following this appointment from the Weber County Commission, the board held a short meeting. It was necessary to elect a chairman, after a discussion of each of the board members. Kenneth Brown was appointed as chairman.

              The first order of business was to secure professional and legal help. Mr. Jack Richards was appointed attorney. Jack Reeves, of the firm of Nelson, Reeves and Maxwell, was appointed engineer. They were appointed to do the field work and present the plans and drawings back to the board.

              When the plans were completed, the board spent much time deciding the most feasible and economical areas to run the lines in. Also, to give each town a fair share of the project. Following this, it was necessary to project estimated costs. The board spent many months getting costs and deciding on types and kinds of pipes and materials to use on the project. The overall plans had to look attractive and feasible in order to get a bonding company to handle the bonds.

              The first step made to secure the bond issue was to get signed pledge cards with an agreement to pay $250.00 for a waster connection. This was a requirement. Committees were organized with Floyd A. Palmer, Richard Groberg, Kenneth Brown, Clifford Blair, and Arthur Sorensen acting as chairman in each of their respective towns. The result was very successful, all those serving on these committee are deserving of much credit for their untiring effort and accomplishments.

              On August 20, 1957, a bond election was held to see if the residents would approve a $900,000.00 bond issue. The vote was 490 yes and 82 no. Edward L. Burton Company was retained as Fiscal Agent, and $698,000.00 was sold in General Obligation Bonds, and the system was under way.

              On April 14, 1958, a contract was awarded to Smith-Scott Pipe Company to furnish cement mortar-lined steel pipe for the main lines.

              Also, on April 14, 1958, a contract was awarded to Knudson Construction Company to install water mains in the Harrisville-Randall area which was Phase I of the project.

              Also, on April 14, 1958, a contract was awarded to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company to furnish and erect a 250,000.00 gallon elevated storage tank in Plain City.

              On April 28, 1958, Theron Palmer was hired as General Superintendent to oversee construction and to get it ready to serve and operated as a system.

              On May 27, 1958, an office was rented from the E. B. Stone Estate on the corner of 9th and Washington. The district still maintains its offices here. The building was purchased by the district in 1969 and has been remodeled.

              On May 27, 1958, negotiations were begun with the State Department of Welfare of obtain ownership of a spring located in Garner’s Canyon in North Ogden. The spring was used at the time by the welfare department at the Industrial School property for culinary use and irrigation use.

              On May 27, 1958, Weber Basin let a contract to Statewide Construction Company to build the 16-inch transmission line from 4000 South on U-84, down into the district where Bona Vista could connect to it.

              Also, on May 27, 1958, a piece of property located at 4100 West on 2200 North in Plain city, was purchased from Vern Palmer to construct the elevated tank.

Bona Vista Water Storage Tank

              Raymond Concrete Title Company moved in and drove concrete pilings 80 feet into the ground to support the tank.

              Gerald Larkin was then awarded a contract to construct a foundation so Chicago Bridge and iron could begin erection.

              On July 3, 1958, a contract was awarded to Bert Robinson Construction Company to build lines in the Farr West and Plain City.

              Also, on July 3, 1958, Standard Plumbing Supply Company was awarded a contract to furnish materials for service lines.

              On July 17, 1958, the Weber County Commission agreed to purchase 60 fire hydrants to go on the system to be located by the Weber County Fire Chief.

              On July 17, 1958, Smedley construction Company was awarded a bid to construct lines in the Slaterville, Marriott, and Wilson area for $44,975.00. The same day Mac Construction Company of Salt Lake City was awarded the bid to construct our North Ogden Reservoir for $16,911.00. This is a concrete underground reservoir.

              On August 11, 1958, an agreement was reached with the Welfare Department to obtain full use of the spring in North Ogden. Weber-Box Elder water was purchased to replace the Welfare Department’s share of the spring.

              On February 11, 1959, work began on the plans and site for a reservoir in the Roy area.

              On March 23, 1959, it was decided to run a line on the North Plain City Road.

              On August 27, 1959, it was decided to either buy or condemn the Hansen property for a reservoir.

              A bid to build a tank in Roy was awarded to Wehyer Construction Company for #31,403.80 on September 23, 1959.

              Negotiations began to buy an eight-foot well from the Farr West Stake for $31,403.80 on September 23, 1959.

              Linn C. Baker resigned as Secretary on January 1, 1961. He had been with the district since it began.

              On December 6, 1961, it was decided to construct extensions to existing mains in the amount of $90,000.00 General Obligation Bonds were sold to finance these extensions. Waterfall Construction Company did the job.

              All though the summer of 1961, the Farr West well was tested to see if it would hold up.

              On February 28, 1962, President Wimmer signed the Warranty Deed on the Farr West well and property. On January 16, 1963, it was decided to put heat lights on our Roy tank. This was the first such installation in this area and it drew a lot of attention.

              The Utah State Health Department studied the plans for use of the plans for use of the existing well in Farr West and decided against allowing it to be used because of its depth. A change application was then filled with the State Engineer to drill the well to a deeper depth.

              On May 10, 1963, a contract with Wesley Stoddard was made to drill a well in Farr West for $21,632.00 plus $4,700.00 for the test hole to see how deep the well would have to go.

              A meeting was held at the Farr West Pump House building on January 20, 1964. This building was contracted by the Bona Vista Water employees. The piping was also done by employees of Bona Vista.

              R. W. Coleman Company was awarded a contract for $18,877.50 to change some lines under the interstate highway on November 22, 1965.

              Negotiations began on March 28, 1966, with Weber Basin on the North Ogden Well, which was later drilled and is used in the system now.

              Water meters were deemed necessary and were bought by bid from Waterworks Equipment Company and E. C. Olsen Company on October 28, 1968.

New Plain City Canal

BEGINNING OF PLAIN CITY IRRIGATION WATER

              1859 Before the summer was over some water had been brought in their new ditch from Four Mile Creek to Plain City. In 1860, the Canal was completed to Mill Creek, the following year to Broom’s Creek and in 1862 to the Ogden River. The Right of Way in Weber River was purchased in 1873 at a cost of $2000.

              In 1899 Samuel Wayment drilled an Artesian Well 249 feet deep producing additional water for the settlers. He also was in charge of the iron work and the building of the Chief Canning Factory in Plain City.

PLAIN CITY IRRIGATION-CEMENTING OF THE MAIN CANAL

SUBMITTED BY Wayne Skeen

              For many years the Plain City Irrigation Company received it’s water from the Weber River. The diversion point into the canal was just north of the old American Packing Plant that was later called the Swift Meat Packaging Plant. The Irrigation Company had a large Plank Head Gate in the Weber River that forced the water into the Plain City Irrigation Company Canal because of high waters in the spring this gate would wash out and it was necessary to make a gravel and dirt dam each year using horses, scrapers, and even large bulldozers. In recent years this became a major problem.

              The government began planning the Willard Project in 1960. This project would interfere to a certain extent with the existing canal used by the Irrigation Company because big Willard Bay Canal would be built in part of our existing canal and would also cross it in part of our existing canal and would also cross it in other areas. The leaders of this project wanted to provide a turn out from the big canal into the Plain City Irrigation Canal. The corporation of our company was necessary to give them the right to use the area affected by the construction of the Willard Bay Canal. The logical point of diversion would be west of the Farr West Church House. This meant that some new construction would be necessary to get the water into the old canal. It was in need of some repairs and it was at this time that the idea of a new cement lined canal was entertained.

              Directors who served during this period of construction were as followed:

              President                               Abram Maw                1959-60

              President                               Alvin J. Robson           1961-65

              Vice President                       Walt Christensen        1959-64

              Vice President                       Carl Taylor                  1965

                                                            Bert Hunt

                                                            Charles Heslop

                                                            Keith Blanch

                                                            Mike Panunzio

              Secretary                               Wayne Skeen              1959-65

              High lights of the minutes of the meetings during the construction period are as follow:

August 11, 1959

              Ogden City had extra water for sale this year which was allocated out to various canal companies. A motion was made by Alvin Robson that this water be purchased to see them through the current season. It would be paid by those stock holders who subscribed for the extra water.

April 4, 1960

              The meeting was called to discuss the new canal. Charles Heslop was assigned to work on interested free money from the Utah Water & Power board for the construction. Alvin Robson was assigned to work with the Soil Conservation on the completion of the surveying of the canal, and additional monies.

July 12, 1960

              A meeting was held to discuss a possible shortage of water for the remainder of the year. Time was changed from 20 shares per hour to 25 shares per hour.

January 9, 1961

              A priority was established with the Utah Water an Power board for interest free money and application made for $100,000.00

              A survey showed that there was a 10% loss of water between the River turn out and the Point of use.

March 8, 1961

              The Irrigation Company received a $10,000.00 cash settlement for their rights in the old canal from the O.U.R.D. Railroad Company that passes through their yards.

              Alvin Robson, Carl Taylor, and Walt Christensen was to secure information regarding tiling of the canal from Victor Lund’s corner up to the Jesse Singleton property where the canal leaves the road and runs back into the fields.

April 20, 1961

              A report was given by Alvin Robson regarding the tiling of the lower part of the canal. There were mixed emotions about tiling this section of the canal because of the fall and the amount of water to be delivered. “Alvin Robson commented as the discussion went on concerning the piping verses the cement lining. The stockholders are residents of this town and should have some concern towards the improvements and beautification of the community and that an open cement lined canals to greet the people entering the town is not very inviting and once it was constructed it would never be changed in our life time.”

              Keith Blanch speaking as a town board member expressed his opinion regarding the beautification and eliminating hazards in the community and felt that it was worth while and the tax payers should help with the construction of the Irrigation Company in piping this section of the canal.

              Glen Charlton and Lee Olsen from the town board were present. An opinion was asked from the town board members. Mr. Charlton felt it was a worth while project as long as it was right. Mr. Olsen commented that it was a good thing as long as it was sufficient to meet the needs of the water users.

              The town board members agreed to cover the pipe that was laid with dirt. It was agreed that 2880 feet of 36 inch tile would be laid this spring from the old beet dump corner to Victor Lund’s corner.

April 27, 1961

              The Town board members present: Dee Cook, Glen Charlton, Kent Jenkins, and Lee Olsen. Mr. Covey from Utah State University was also present.

              Further discussion concerning cost of construction of the concrete pipe continued. Keith Blanch made a motion that the town board and property owners should join with the Irrigation Company in the cost of the 36 inch tile to be laid. Motion seconded by Carl Taylor

              Mr. Robson suggested the property owners who would benefit from the lining of the canal pay $1.25 per foot frontage towards the pipe. The Town Board said they could only participate within the city limits and they would contribute $4,000.00 over a 10 year period. The bids were to be sent to Secretary Wayne Skeen by March 30, 1961.

April 30, 1961

              The purpose of this meeting was to open bids. Utah Concrete Pipe Company received bids for 36 inch concrete pipe at $8.75 per foot. Waterfall Construction Company was awarded the laying of the pipe at $1.55 per foot.

              Abram Maw made the motion that the project not be stopped at the beet dump corner but continue up to the up to the weir east of the water tower (where the pipe portion of the canal now starts) if the property owners will contribute $1.25 per foot. Motion seconded by Keith Blanch.

              Charles Heslop ad Elvin Maw were asked to approach these property owners and get their approval to pay the $1.25 and also contact all stock holders and get their signature for government participation thru the Soil Conservation.

              Charles and Elvin were successful in getting all the names except Jesse Singleton who would not accept any government monies and would not pay the $1.25 per foot to tile in front of his property.

              Alvin Robson contracted Howard Singleton, Jesse’s boy and he agreed to pay the $1.25 but only up to the old house that sat in the field and that is where the concrete pipe starts today. Alvin Robson tried to convince the Director’s that they should at the company’s cost tile the remainder of the ditch along the road because any future expansion of the community would by hampered by open ditch reducing the width of the road. This motion turned down.

              Walter Christensen made the motion that Alvin Robson meet with the Soil Conservation to discuss details of cost and tiling and lining the canal.

April 31, 1961

              Alvin East, Maurice Skeen, and Owen Wayment from the Warren Irrigation Company met with the directors to discuss details and sign a contract for the exchange of Ogden and Weber River which would benefit both companies. The contract was signed.

              Mr. Daniel Lawrence from the Utah Water & Power Board attended the meeting. Keith Blanch made the motion that Alvin Robson and Wayne Skeen be given the power to enter into a contract with the Utah Water & Power Board for the total cost of $1,300.000.00 and formulate all details.

May 3, 1961

              Junior Taylor was appointed as Water Master of the year.

May 15, 1961

              The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the Weber Basin Project with E.J. Feldstead and commissioner Wilmer Carver. They needed additional votes to finish construction of the Willard Bay. A proposed addition would cost seventeen million dollars.

June 5, 1961

              The purpose of the meeting was to see what should be done because it appeared that there would be a water shortage before the end of the year. It was proposed that we only run off water until the stream reached a point that we could not water properly and then start to use our shortage water and put turns on 1/3 basis.

September 27, 1961

              The new project was discussed and it was recommended that the company hire an engineer and begin construction on the upper end of the new canal.

              There were many problems that came out of the construction of this canal. It would be necessary to get some dirt to construct the pad for the canal. The company purchased some ground at the upper end of the canal from Max Stander. Then got the dirt that was necessary to build the upper end of the canal and then leveled the ground and gave it back to Mr. Stander. They also purchased additional dirt from Robert Penman. This dirt was trucked from his property just south of the Weber River and west of the main road. The dirt was hauled by farmers using their beet trucks, etc.. The new pad was made in the old canal banks where possible, but there was some trading of land etc. to straighten out the canal. There was also a problem in getting someone to dig out the canal to the size and shape required to allow 50 seconds feet of water at one time. The company asked for bids, but they only received one because the equipment needed to shape the canal was not available. In order to get the project moving Alvin Robson caught a bus on Ogden and went to the Fuller Forms Company in Arizona to see if they had some type of equipment that could be used. He purchased a right to one of their slip forms that could be used in forming and pouring the concrete. He returned to Ogden and worked with the Ogden Iron Works on 23rd Street and Grant Avenue where the construction of the slip forms took place. The next problem was to begin the construction of the project. Dean Hadley of Taylor was hired to do most of the big equipment work. Local farmers also helped with their equipment. The Soil Conservation furnished the engineering on the project. Herbert Issackson of Pleasant View was the surveyor. One of the major problems that existed and is still a yearly discussion is the amount of water delivered from the existing head gates. The government required that curtained head gates must be varied in size for them to participate financially.

Oct 1962

              There was much contention and personal feelings during the construction of how it should be done. Some people left the jobs and never came back, but the project was finally finished. The construction created problems for some but most of the inconveniences were ratified by the Irrigation Company. New bridges were built, land was leveled, damages to property was crops were paid for during the construction. The Company paid for fencing materials with the property owners installing the fences. Cattle that used to walk across the stream would fall into the new lined canal and couldn’t get out. The Company paid for some of the cattle that were lost before the agreement to install fencing was made.

              The total cost of the project was $199,754.08. The amount of $122,918.61 was borrowed from Utah Water & Power Board. This money was interest free if a yearly payment was made by November 30th each year. The last payment of $8.257.06 will be paid on November 30, 1977. Other cost not being paid by the stockholders come from the Soil Conservation and the sale of pieces of the old canal, and the town board. Vice President Bill Hatch of the First Security bank was also an asset in the financing of the canal.

              We borrowed monies from the First Security Bank as construction went on to pay for cost on a daily basis. On December 31, 1974, the company owed the First Security bank $60,000.00 Alvin Robson and Wayne Skeen met with Mr. Hatch in May regarding this bill. Mr. Hatch said that the bank needed some type of security for this loan. There was nothing to give him because out rights to the canal had been given to the Utah Water and Power Board. Alvin Robson and Wayne Skeen then approached Mr. Lawrence of the Utah Water and Power Board asking them for more money for the project explaining the situation with the bank. Alvin Robson explained that they might just as well take over the ownership of the canal because the bill had to be paid. There was nothing to offer as security because the Utah Water and Power board had everything that the company owned. Later, Mr. Lawrence of the Utah Water and Power Board gave the Irrigation Company an additional $30,000 which helped to delete that note at the First Security Bank.

*********

Canal after completion

History of Plain City Pt 8

I have two copies of the History of Plain City, Utah. The front indicates it is from March 17th 1859 to present. As far as I can tell, the book was written in 1977. At least that is the latest date I can find in the book.

One copy belonged to my Grandparents Milo and Gladys Ross. My Grandpa has written various notes inside the history which I intend to include in parenthesis whenever they appear. They add to the history and come from his own experience and hearing. 

I will only do a number of pages at a time. I will also try to include scanned copies of the photos in the books. These are just scanned copies of these books, I have not tried to seek out originals or better copies.

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 123 through 140.

SPORTS IN PLAIN CITY

 By Lyman H. Cook

            Plain City’s most prominent claim to fame has been through the sports program and the great players and teams that the town has produced. I know of no other town to community in this state, to possibly out of state, that can equal the accomplishments in the total sports program as the town of Plain City. I don’t know how many hundred championships or trophies this town has won in baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, and Jr. Posses, over the last 75 years or more. We include the young teams and people in the town, and also the girls. These trophies and championships came from local, county, multi-county, state, stake division, region, multi-region, and All Church basketball, softball, and volleyball, which is the largest leagues in the world.

            On February 14, 1977, at 3:30 PM, there were 226 trophies in the trophy cases at the Plain City Church. I couldn’t begin to estimate the number of trophies in the homes here in Plain City. Can you comprehend the number of teams involved and especially the number of people involved on the teams in accomplishing this great record.

            There seems to be a special spirit, or force, ambition, or drive, that compels players to excel and teams to win. The will to win in Plain City is the strongest I have ever known. We have been accused of playing dirty, or being poor sports, but in answer to these charges, I would submit the phrase: We just play hard, and the spirit of competition just brings out the best in us. In Plain City you don’t hope you can win, you are expected to win. Some communities dislike us for our sports program because it is so strong, and in reality, they judge their success of their season by the fact of whether they can beat Plain City or not. I realize these are rather potent and strong statements, but never the less, they are all true.

            We dedicate this section of sports to all the people who have ever played on a team in Plain City. We realize that some names will be missed and it is not our intent to forget anyone, but we can’t remember all, and this is all of the sports material that has been turned in for the history. If your name is left off, write it in, and if you were star of the team, write that in also.

            We have asked for and received personal write-ups on a few people who have signed professional contracts or have distinguished themselves in certain sports. We recognize them for their talents in that they in turn have brought special recognition to Plain City. I am sure these talented athletes would be the first to recognize their fellow members, for they realize that no one man is bigger or better than the whole team, and in this light, we recognize the teams they played on.

            From 1944 until the present, there were three basketball teams that went to All Church and won two second places. Commencing in 1951 through 1954, we played in four fast-pitch All Church Tournaments. We won a second-place finish and eight-place finish.

            In 1953, we played on a volleyball team that went to the All Church Tournament and won the Sportsmanship Trophy, which was a great honor. The team that played were: Dee Cook, Lyman Cook, Wayne Cottle, Wayne Skeen, Blair Simpson, Kenneth Lund, Harold Hadley, and others we couldn’t remember.

            There were teams that went to the All Church Slow Pitch Tournaments from Pain City for three years. They won two All Church Championships, and a third-place finish. There have been some excellent younger teams in baseball, basketball, and softball, and a Junior team last year (1976) won a second-place in a

The All Church program.

            This was one of the early teams of Plain City, and this picture was taken around 1910. They played together for many years, and they won several championships.

Top Row: L to R:          Joe Hunt, Tooley Louis Poulsen, Preston Thomas, Parley Taylor, Jack Hodson.

Middle Row: L to R:     Mr. Anderson, Coach, Jim Thomas, Melvin Draney

Bottom row: L to R:    Oscar Richardson, Joe Singleton

Louis Poulsen

            Tooley Poulsen played on many championship teams, and played several positions, mainly second base and catcher.

            This was one of the first Mutual basketball teams in Plain City. They played their games in the upstairs of the old hall. Lyle Thomas reports that you didn’t have to be polished to play on this team, just big and rough, for there was very little whistle blowing in those days. This picture was taken in about 1925, and they won several championships.

Back Row: L to R:        Rulon Jenkins, Lyle Palmer, Marion Sneed, Milton Garner

Front Row L to R:        Theo Thompson, Ralph Robson, Coach Ellis Giles

            This was the 1930 Plain City Baseball team. They played for State Champion ship.

Top Row: L to R:          Horace Knight, Albert Sharp, Walter Christensen

Middle Row: L to R:    Floyd Palmer, Angus Richardson, Arnold Taylor, Walter Moyes, Abram Maw, William Freestone

Bottom Row: L to R:    Clair Folkman, Gilbert Taylor, Dick Skeen, Fred Singleton, Frank Skeen, Elmer Carver

BASEBALL AND EARLY SPORTS

By Elwood (Dick) Skeen

            Baseball was Plain City’s most favorite sport. Baseball in Plain City in the early 1920’s and 1930’s was composed of the Plain City Bull Dogs with the following players taking part:

                                                      Louis Poulsen

                                                      Joe Singleton

                                                      Walter Draney

                                                      Elmo Rhead

                                                      Parley Taylor

                                                      Joe Hunt

                                                      Elvin Maw

                                                      Oscar Richardson

                                                      John  Hodson

            They represented Plain City in the Weber County Farm Bureau League, composed of North Ogden, Hooper, Roy, and Clinton. There were many good ball players in those days that played on the teams. The town park at that time was covered with salt grass. There were no base lines, no pitcher mounds. But, on a Saturday afternoon the park was filled with people that came from all over the county to watch the games. Horses and wagons lined the park.

            Foot racing was also a great sport at that time, and Plain City had one of the best in Walter Draney, who was not only fast, but also a great athlete.

            As time passed and the older players began to drop out, the chance came for us younger players to take over. In 1925 I caught my first Farm Bureau game at Liberty with Ezra Taylor doing the pitching. Then, the other players that made up our team for the next few years started to play. We had our share of victories. In fact, we had more than our share of wins.

            Finances at that time were hard to come by. We did what we could to raise money to continue supporting the team. In 1928, the ball team put on the first Black and White Day with Mervin Thompson and Joseph Skeen showing their cattle. An old-time refreshment stand, soda water, ice cream, candy bars, and popcorn, which sold for 5¢. Also, some drinks that were not sold at the stand.

            Our uniforms were furnished by Plain City individuals and business firms from Ogden. Suits would have the name of the giver on the back. Decoration day and the Fourth of July were our most celebrated days with all kinds of sports for those who wished to perform. A baseball game and a dance in the evening would top the day.

            We would get the best team from Ogden to play on these days so that we could show what was leading up to the best team we had. In 1930, we won the Weber County Farm Bureau League, and the town bought us new uniforms to go to Lagoon to play Sandy, Utah, for thy State Championship. We lost by a close score. Our players were:

                                                      Gilbert Taylor

                                                      Walter Moyes

                                                      Arnold Taylor

                                                      Frank Skeen

                                                      Horace Knight

                                                      Albert Sharp

                                                      Fred Singleton

                                                      Abram Maw

                                                      Walter Christensen

                                                      Clair Folkman

                                                      Dick Skeen

            Bill Freestone was the manager. Angus Richardson was the coach. Elmer Carver took care of finances, and Floyd Palmer and Byron Carver were scorekeepers. We played in tournaments at Brigham City and Ogden, and some out-of-state games were played.

            We continued playing, but soon the gang started drifting different ways and our days were coming to an end. The league started to dwindle and later, folded up with the workload increase. Baseball was soon lost to the towns in Weber County.

Left to Right: Nalon Taylor, Bert Cook, Howard Gibson, Bud Dallinga, Wayne Cottle, Thayne Robson, Bill Stokes, Rulon Jenkins, Coach

The Desert News Sport                       Best Two MIA Teams

Page 10 – Salt Lake City, Utah-Saturday, March 11, 1944

Bottom Row: L to R:     Carl Taylor, Carl Hodson, Fred Singleton, Coach, Blair Simpson, Glen Charlton

Top Row: L to R:             Frank Hadley, John Nash, Lyman Cook, Ray Cottle

            Ray Cottle, Center:                  First Team All Church

            Frank Hadley, Forward:           Second Team All Church

            Lyman Cook, Guard:               Second Team All Church

            Blair Simpson, Guard:             Honorable Mention

            This team played for All Church Championship in 19441. They played Grantsville, Utah, and lost to them for the title. The games were played in the old Desert Gym, by the Hotel Utah. The teams stayed four nights in the Hotel Utah. They ate, slept, and played basketball.

                                                                        Top Row L to R:

                                                                        Alf Charlton, Athletic Director

                                                                        Lyman Cook, Ronald Skeen, Kenneth Lund, Grant

                                                                        Lund, Wayne Skeen, Clair Folkman, Coach

                                                                        Bottom Row L to R:

                                                                        Harold Hadley, Elmer Hipwell, Bill Stokes, Dee

                                                                        Cook, Blair Simpson

            This was the Plain City M-Men Team that played after World War II, in 1946, for several years and won several state championships and played in the division tournaments.

______________________________________________________________________________

                                                            SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 19, 1951

                                                                        District Three Winners

Winner of the district three double elimination softball tournament of the L.D.S. church was this fast moving team from Plain City in the Farr West Stake. In the lineup (front row) F. Hadley, 2b; Cook 3b; B. Simpson, 5b; D. Christensen, rf; T. Musgrave. Of; L. Cook, lf; coach; G. Charlton, of; W. Cottle. 1b; R. Cottle, p, and K. Jenkins, c.

                                                      Plain City Romps To 12-4 Win

                                                      Over Centerville for L. D. S.

                                                      District Three Softball Title

PLAIN CITY SOFTBALL TEAM OF 1951

                                                                        By Lyman Cook

            Plain City has always been a very strong baseball town, and the feeling was that softball was a game for girls, or you played softball at family reunions. In 1951 the Farr West Stake started a softball program and wanted teams to participate. I was Ward Athletic Director at that time and asked these players to play. This was the first softball team organized in Plain City. We won the Stake and District III. We then went on to the All Church Tournament in Salt Lake City. We won some and lost some, not too eventful. I coached the team the first year we played. This was a fast-pitch team.

                                                            L. D. S. Division III Champs

Repeating their last year’s victory in the L.D.S. division III softball tournament, the Plain City team came through again last night at Ogden softball park to beat Hoytsville 9 to 6. Front row Left to right: M. Heslop, E. Hadley, C. Taylor, D. Cook, A. Maw and G. Charlton: back row, lerft to right: R. Cottle, W. Skeen, W. Cottle, L. Cook, B. Simpson, and D. Skeen, coach. Absent from photo: Jenkins, V. Stokes and R. Skeen.

            PLAIN CITY WARD SOFTBALL TEAM OF 1952

                                                                                    By Lyman Cook

            In 1952 we repeated as stake champions and also won the Division III Championship again. We went to the All Church Tournament again and played very well. We played for the All Church Championship, but lost to Pocatello 10th Ward in a good game. Blair Simpson was voted Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Wayne Cottle made the All Church Team. There may be others. This was also a fast-pitch team. Dick Skeen was the coach.

                                              This team played Farm Bureau Baseball and won the

                                                            Championship around 1950:

                                                            Top Row: L to R:

                                                            Junior Taylor, Wayne Skeen, Don Singleton,  Bert Cook,

                                                            Glen Charlton, Kent Jenkins, Clair Folkman, Coach

                                                            Bottom Row: L to R:

                                                            “Buss” Lyman Skeen, Frank Hadley, Wayne Cottle, Ray

                                                            Charlton, John Maw, Dee Cook

                                              This team played Pleasant Grove for All Church Champion-

                                                            Ship in 1956. They took second place.

                                                            Bottom Row: L to R:

                                                            Quinten Jenkins, Archie Skeen, LaGrand Hadley, Brent

                                                            Taylor, Ronald Sharp

                                                            Back Row: L to R:

                                                            Dee Cook, Manager, Darrell Christensen, Robert Folkman,

                                                            Bert Cook, Kenneth Lund, Wayne Cottle, Kent Jenkins, Coach

            Many county and Northern Utah Championships were obtained by this team that was sponsored by the Town Board in the late 1950’s to middle 1960’s.

COACHES:                                     Clair Folkman – Blair Simpson

TEAM MEMBERS:                         POSITIONS:

Blair Simpson                                P- IF

Wayne Cottle                                     IF

Cy Freston                                          IF

LaGrand Hadley                            OF – P

Archie Skeen                                        C

Gaylen Hansen                              C – P – IF

Bobby Taylor                                 P – OF

George Cook                                        IF

Reid Nielson                                  IF   P

Ted Favero                                    IF –

Dennis Anderson                           P

Garry Skeen                                   OF

Lynn Folkman                                OF

Bud Parker                                    IF – OP

Tom Seager                                   OF

Harold Hadley                               IF

Harold Marriott                            IF

******

PLAIN CITY WARD FASTPITCH TEAM

1960, 1961, 1962

              This team won the Stake, Region, and Division Championships, and represented the ward in All-Church competition with a successful number of victories.

COACH:                                         Elmer Carver

TEAM MEMBERS:

Tom Seager, P                                     Blair Simpson, SS

Gaylen Hansen, C                                LaGrand Hadley, LF

Wayne Cottle, 1st                                Robert Folkman, CF

George Cook, 2nd                                Dee Cook, RF

Cy Freston, 3rd                                     Don Singleton, IF

Blaine Eckman, QF                              Gar Hunter, 1st – OF

THE PLAIN CITY BULLDOGS

              This is one of the very first Weber County Recreation Teams in Plain City. Many of these players went on playing baseball for many years.

Front Row: L to R:

Dick Skeen, Coach, Fred Palmer, Darrel Thompson, Kenneth Hogge, George Cook, Ronald Sharp.

Back Row: L to R:

Archie Skeen, Brent Taylor, Wayne Poulson, Jay Freestone, Robert Folkman, LaGrand Hadley

PLAIN CITY SECOND WARD

ALL – CHURCH CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

1963 – 1ST Place

1964 – 1st Place

1965 – 3rd Place

              This team represented the Plain City 2nd Ward and Plain City Town by winning 64 and losing only two games over a three-year span. Many players received All – Church recognition. In the championship game the first year the team hit 11 home runs and pulled off a triple play for the victory.

Back Row: L to R:                                            Not in Photo

Garry Skeen                                                     Archie Skeen

Gaylen Hansen                                                Ken Searcy

George Cook                                                    Jay Freestone

Gar Hunter                                                      Val Taylor

Jerry Bradford                                                 Mel Cottle

Lynn Folkman                                                  Gordon Singleton

Bishop Rulon Chugg                                        Jim Beasley

                                                                        Don Singleton

Front Row: L to R:                                           Gary Hill

                                                                        Bishop Orlo Maw

Jerry Moyes

Doug Palmer

Dale Searcy

Blair Simpson

LaGrand Hadley

All – Church Honors:

Gar Hunter

Jerry Bradford

Ken Searcy

Gaylen Hansen

Archie Skeen

Blair Simpson, Most Valuable Player

BLAIR SIMPSON

and

ELMER SINGLETON

of the

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

1948

“Two cousins met”

ELMER SINGLETON

              Elmer Singleton started pitching for the Farm Bureau League in Plain City. He pitched for several championship teams. He signed a professional contract with Cincinnati, and played at Wenatchee, Washington in 1939, his first year. He played for Idaho Falls, Portland, and Oklahoma City. He moved on up to the big league and played with the following teams:

Cincinnati

Yankees

Chicago

Kansas City

Boston

Pittsburgh

Washington in 1950

Toronto

San Francisco

Seattle

              He was in professional baseball for 27 or 28 years, the last eight years as a player coach.

              He pitch two no hitters, one at San Francisco, and the other at Seattle. Elmer won the Player of the Year Award at Seattle in 1956. There is a baseball card with Elmer’s picture on it with the Chicago Cubs. It reads:

              “This will be Elmer’s 17th year in professional baseball.

                 He started back in 1940 and after 11 uneventful seasons,

                  got red hot to become one of the top hurlers on the

                  Pacific Coast. In 1952 at San Francisco, he won 17, followed

                  with 15 triumphs in 1953 and moved to Seattle in 1956.

                  He had the best Pacific Coast Earned Run Average.”

              Elmer told us that before he left to play professional baseball, the people of Plain City honored him at a banquet. They gave him a ball glove, and he still has it. He is listed in the Sports Record along with his accomplishments. Elmer was a great baseball pitcher. The only picture we have of Elmer is with Blair Simpson. Elmer and Blair are cousins,

              BLAIR SIMPSON

                                                      BY Blair Simpson

              I attended school at Plain City before going to Weber High School. At Weber High School I participated on the track team, played some basketball and pitched for the Weber High baseball team.

              After graduating from Weber High School in 1944, I was drafted into the army for two years.

              In 1948, I signed a professional baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. While playing with the Pirates, I played with the following cities:

                                                            Santa Rosa, California

                                                            Pittsburg, California

                                                            Modesto, California

                                                            Hutchinson, Kansas

                                                            Waco, Texas

                                                            Charleston, South Carolina

              I was a pitcher and had to quit because of an injury to my knee.

              After retiring from professional baseball, I played a considerable amount of baseball with Plain City and other teams in the Ogden area, such as:

                                                            Ogden Ford Sales

                                                            Heitz Heating

                                                            Wasatch Time

              I was selected on the All Star Baseball Team composed of 16 players from the State of Utah.

              I also played on many softball teams in the Ogden area such as Fisher Hess, Utah General Depot, Fred M. Nyes, Savon, and others.

              In 1952, I was named the Most Outstanding Player in the “All Church Fastpitch Softball Tournament” in Salt Lake City and was also named to the All Church All Star Team in 1953.

              In 1963, o received the Most Outstanding Player Award in the All Church Softball Slow Pitch Tournament. In 1964, I again received the most Outstanding Player Award in the slow pitch division of the All Church Tournament held in Salt Lake City. The year 1964 was one of my most memorable occasions in All Church Softball as I hit four consecutive home runs in one game.

              I would like to give a lot of credit to whatever successes I have enjoyed in athletics to the talented town of Plain City.

WAYNE COTTLE

                                                      By Wayne Cottle

              I was born November 30, 1928, in Ogden, Utah. I lived in Plain City all my life. I attended Plain City Elementary and Junior High. I played basketball in the 9th and in the 10th grades for Plain City. L. Rulon Jenkins was our coach and our principal. We played against Hooper, North Ogden, Huntsville, and Weber High School.

              In the Fall of 1945, I started Weber High School, playing football, basketball, baseball, and track for both years. In 1947, I played to a tie for the Region I Championship with Box Elder. We played off the tie breaker at Ogden High School, beating Box Elder for the first Region I Championship for many years. I won the Region I scoring title. We entered the State Tournament in Salt Lake City and we lost to Granite, who became the State Championships, in the semi-finals. I was the recipient of the Standard Examiner KLO Watch Award for being the outstanding athlete of the year.

              I entered Weber Junior College in the Fall of 1947. After about a month of practice I became one of the starting forwards. We played in several tournaments winning 3rd place in the Compton California Invitational.  We played an independent schedule that year. In 1948-49 Weber became a member of the ICAC Conference. We won the conference and played Snow Junior College Tournament. We won the game and I was voted the tournament’s Outstanding Player Ward. We went to the national finals in Hutchinson, Kansas. We won our first game, then we met two defeats.

In the Fall of 1949, I entered Brigham Young University. I was on the team that won the Skyline Conference Championship for the first in many years. We went to the NCAA at Kansas City, Missouri. We lost to Baylor University, then beat UCLA for 3rd place. The next year we accepted a bid to enter the National Invitational Championship and two of our players were voted All American.

              I graduated from BYU in 1951, came back to Plain City and started to play basketball with the Ward team. From the 1951- 1952 season until the creation of the Plain City 2nd Ward in 1960, we never lost a league game in the Farr West Stake. The year of the creation of the Plain City 2nd Ward, they beat us once and we beat them once. We played off the Stake Championship at Wahlquist Jr. High, and we won the team and the championship. After that season, the Church specified an age limit and I was area championships and went to the All Church several times.

WAYNE COTTLE

Brigham Young University

BERT COOK

              He attended Plain City School where he was active in athletics. He graduated and attended Weber High School in 1947 and 1948., where he participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track. In 1948, he was selected on the Class A State All Star Team, in which Weber High School won the championship. He also won the All American in boys Award in baseball at John Affleck Park in 1948. From this he won a trip to Chicago.

              He played for the Plain City baseball team for the Farm Bureau and Ogden City League.

              From 1948 until 1952 he attended Utah State university at Logan, Utah, where he started on the first five as a freshman, and later in the year played in the AAU Tournament and was selected on the All Tournament Team.

              In 1951 – 1952, he lead the conference in scoring and was voted All Conference both years. In 1952 he was voted All American in basketball where his Number 6 jersey was retired at Utah State University being the first one in the history of the school. That same year he was selected on the All Conference Team, and traveled with the Harlem Globe Trotters and the College All Star for several games. Later that year, he signed a contract with the New York Knickerbockers and was drafted into the service where he played for Fort Lee, Virginia Military team in which he lead the scoring and was later voted to the Second Army All Star Team.

              He served his country in the Far East Command in 1954, being released in 1955, when he rejoined the Knicks until 1956. After a serious knee injury he returned to Plain City and played for the Plain City Ward and the Ogden City League.

              He played on the 1956 team that won second place and he made First Team All Church.

              At Weber High School I participated in basketball, baseball, and football and was productive and beneficial. After graduation in 1954, I attended Utah State University for two years on a football scholarship. Next, I received a University of Utah Scholarship in baseball. That year 1958, was a successful year with a batting of .350. The next year was even more eventful. My batting average jumped to .490. The .490 batting average was good enough to lead the Skyline Conference, plus I was fortunate to lead the NCAA in homeruns and RBI’s. These statistics and the efforts of the University of Utah Sports Publicity Department lead to my selection as the “First Team Catcher on the College All -American baseball Team”. As a result of this honor, I was selected the “Most Valuable Player in NCAA, District 7.” The year was 1959.

              Opportunities were available to sign a professional baseball contract with the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and the Phillies. In 1959 I signed a bonus contract with the Boston Red Sox.

              During the next three years I played in the following leagues: Sophomore League in Alpine, Texas: North Carolina League in Raleigh, North Carolina; Midwest League in Waterloo, Iowa; and the Eastern League in Johnstown, Pa. Winter ball was played in Bradenton, Florida.

              In 1962, spring training was held in Deland, Florida. Because of a successful spring training I was invited to join the Triple A League in Seattle, Washington, “The Seattle Rainiers.” All Star Catcher honors were received in 1960, 1961, and 1962. In 1963 I was invited to spring training with the parent ball club, The Boston Red Sox. At the completion of spring training I was again assigned to the Seattle Rainiers.

              Some of the great stars helping the young players were: Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Rudy York, Johnny Pesky, and Mel Parnell. As of this year, 1977, the only teammate of mine still with the Boston Red Sox is Carl Yastrzemski.

                                                                        Bert Cook

                                                            New York Knickerbockers

                                                                        Archie Skeen

History of Plain City Pt 5

I have two copies of the History of Plain City, Utah. The front indicates it is from March 17th 1859 to present. As far as I can tell, the book was written in 1977. At least that is the latest date I can find in the book.

One copy belonged to my Grandparents Milo and Gladys Ross. My Grandpa has written various notes inside the history which I intend to include in parenthesis whenever they appear. They add to the history and come from his own experience and hearing. This one is fun as it includes the history of my Great Great Great Grandparents William and Mary Ann Sharp and also references my Great Great Grandfather Milo Riley Sharp.

I will only do a number of pages at a time. I will also try to include scanned copies of the photos in the books. These are just scanned copies of these books, I have not tried to seek out originals or better copies.

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 58 through 75.

William MATHERS

Submitted by Augusta Nash

            William Mathers was born in Scotland and came here as a convert to the church. He was a sort of an eccentric man, but he had many special talents and hobbies. He had the finest gun collection for many miles around and loved to decorate the stock with designs of inlaid gold. He was very efficient in this. He also was a taxidermist and did beautiful work in this field. There were few who could match this hunting abilities and the days when few men had enough money to engage in the sport, he became the guide and leader for many well to do men from the city when they came out to hunt. He also was the quarantine official in the days when contagious diseases were quarantined, and he filled this capacity with the utmost integrity, believing absolutely in the law.

Mr. Mathers withi his bag of ducks in front of his shop where he displayed his guns and taxidermy

FRED J. KENLEY

SUBMITTED BY AUGUSTA NASH

            Fred J. Kenley started working as a rural mail carrier in 1902, from the main Post Office on Twenty Fourth Street in Ogden. A branch was soon established at Five Points known as Station A. From there two rural Carriers (Routes 2 and 3) and one city carrier sorted their mail and left for their routes. Mr. Kenley’s route (2) consisted of delivery through Harrisville, Farr West, Plain City, Slaterville, and Marriott. A distance of about thirty miles. His first conveyance being a horse and cart, later a buggy and horse. In 1916 he purchased his first Model T Ford. There is much that could be written about the difficulties of delivering the mail; bad weather, bad roads, etc., but he never missed one day. I became his substitute for a long time. He was retired in 1933 by Pres. Roosevelt to help provide jobs to younger men.

            Mr. Kenley served the community in other ways. He was a great lover of music and played the clarinet. He with his brother William, who played the violin, and a friend Seth Harper, who played the piano, played for dances all over Weber County. For m any years they entertained in activities all over. Then Mr. Kenley had a choir. In those years almost everyone belonged to the choir. Their weekly practices were held and nothing took place over them. They sang for church, and for entertainment all over Weber County. He took great delight in the accomplishments of this choir. It was second only to the Ogden Tabernacle choir. He was a great scholar and teacher and a Scout Master.

Fred J. Kenley-his first conveyance being a horse & cart
Fred J. Kenley-his later conveyance being a horse & buggy

HISTORY OF PLAIN CITY AS SEEN BY MERLIN ENGLAND

            I was born on December 17, 1895, on the same lot that now live on, in a little adobe room. Walter Draney was born on the same day in Plain city. We went to school together and he was a very dear friend. When I was six years old the school was where Walt Christensen lives now. If memory serves me right, Elmer Carver and I are the only two left that attended that school. I can remember three of my teachers; one was Merrill Jenkins’ mother, one was Mae Stewart, who lived just across the road from where I live now. The other was Mrs. Skeen, Ivy Carver’s mother. I can remember Dad tell about the first school which was on the south side of the square. Every Monday morning each of the students took 25 cents to pay the teacher for her wages.

            When I was a Deacon, our Quorum took care of the meeting house. There were two stoves, one on each side. It was the Deacon’s work to keep coal and wood for the fires in the wintertime. Richard Lund was the Quorum teacher. Our meeting was Monday night. He had a good singing voice and we had to sing or he wanted to know why. On Saturdays, we would take two horses, a hay rack and our lunch to the north range and cut sagebrush for all the windows in Plain City. The next Saturday we would go in groups and cut the sagebrush into kindling for these ladies. We had a lot of good times and as I remember, there was very little swearing or taking the Lord’s name in vain at any time.

            When we went to school, a child’s birthday was celebrated by a surprise party. We had many good times together. Our parties usually broke up at no later than 9:30, I can remember when the dance hall stood where Lynn Folkman’s new home is now. Sometimes later a dance hall was built west of where the church now stands. It later burned down. Many people enjoyed good times at the old dance hall. We had a picture show on Saturday nights. Pete Poulsen and William Hunt took charge of the tickets.

            In those days my Father ran a store on the lot where I now live.

            It would take all day with team and wagon to bring the dry goods from Ogden. I can remember when the first telephone came to Plain City. My Father gave the telephone company permission to put the switchboard in the back of the store. They took two of my sisters to be switchboard operators. Father and Abram Maw’s grandfather owned the first two telephones. When the phone was put throughout the town, it cost $1.00 a month. Many the night my Father came and got me out of bed and I saddled my pony and delivered a telephone message of a death or of a sick friend to someone in Plain City at all hours of the night. If you needed a doctor, it would take an hour for him to get out this far because it was all horse and buggy. If he needed to stay into the night, it was up to the person who called him to see that his horse was taken proper care of.

            Some of the women brought their butter to trade for groceries. Mostly it was a 20 cent a pound trade. Salmon was 10 cents and 15 cents a can. You could buy a work shirt for 65 cents, a pair of shoes for $2.00

            The first job I had to earn money was driving cows. I had to drive Father’s cows, so William Hunt and James Stewart hired me to drive their cows. I received 50 cents a month from each of them.

            At one time in Plain City there were many people orchards. A lot of the apples were hauled to Salt Lake by team and wagon. It would take three days to go. If you were lucky, you could sell the apples in one day at anywhere from 40 cents to 60 cents a bushel. It would taker a whole day to get home again.

            I can remember the first canning factory. They had to haul the cans from Ogden by team and rig with canvas wrapped around them. After the tomatoes were canned, they had to haul to West Weber or Ogden by team to the railroad.

            My father, Thomas England, John Maw, and Lyman Skeen were the three men appointed to the committee to bring the railroad from Harrisville to Plain City and Warren. That increased the sugar beets by many acres because the railroad would do the hauling out.

            The first gravel roads we had in Plain City were made with rock that was crushed at the west end of Pleasant View, North Ogden, and Ogden, and was hauled to Plain City and Hooper by team and wagon. The men would do it in the winter when work was hard to find. One man would put in three days a week, and then another would work the other three.

            I married Florence Taylor February 4, 1914, in the Logan Temple. In 1916, I bought the old Boyd place where the family then lived. There was no school bus at the time, so the children had to get to school the best way they could. Then they would hurry home from school to do their chores and help their mother with dinner. I spoke to the picture shows they had on Saturday nights. Our car would leave home with our girls in it. By the time we got there, the car was full with one or two on the running board besides.

            I hauled milk by team and wagon to Farr West to the skimming station and then hauled the whey back to the farmers. The plant was located near where Ernie Jensen now lives. Two years later, Weber Central Dairy brought the ole Black and Griffin Building on 26th and Wall, and I hauled milk there for six years.

            When I was hauling milk, George Palmer, who was crippled quite badly, was put in as Bishop. He didn’t have an automobile and so once a month when I would pick up his milk, he would put the Church money in three different money sacks to three different banks and give it to me. I would take the money to the banks and being the receipts and the sacks back to him. Bishop Palmer told me many a time that he didn’t know how he could have done that service.

            I am 80 years old. I have a wonderful family and I think the world of them. I good health and I am thankful for my parents and my name. I have lived in Plain City all of my life and I have many wonderful friends.

            The year 1905 is the date given that the first telephone came to Plain City. The first telephone switchboard was located in the store owned by Thomas England. There were three long-distance lines. A system of record keeping was to have twenty calls, then registered.

            The first exchange was operated by the family of Mr. England. Lillian England was the chief operator. Her salary was $25.00 a month. Lester England, Wilford England, and Hazel Kennedy were relief operators. They were paid $15.00 a month for their services. Service was provided for Weber, Warren, Plain City, Farr West, and possibly Slaterville.

            Later, the telephone company lent money to build a telephone exchange building on the spot where marvel England’s home now stands. It was dismantled when no longer needed.

            Telephones were few and far between in early Plain City. Mr. Thomas Jenkins told of walking from his home to the home of Henry T. Maw to use the phone in the middle of the night.

            Later on, more telephones were installed; party lines with 8 to 10 families were common. The telephones helped to bring the boundaries of the town closer together.

            The box-on-the-wall type of telephone was later replaced with the more modern cradle-portable phone. Then, a great step was taken with a few people having private lines, and reduction of parties on a line. This really helped to have all those rings eliminated for every other party on the line. Then more recently, many homes have telephones in the various rooms of their homes.

            In the summer and fall of 1973, the biggest change took place. The old telephone lines were replaced with an underground cable with many lines in it. This helped most families to now have a private line. This removal of the old poles and wires has added much to the appearance of the town.

            On December 17, 1976, Merlin England said, “today is my eight-first birthday, and it’s the first day in my life I have ever known when there wasn’t a telephone pole one-third of the way through the lot on the east side. Other poles have replaced the original one during my life time, but today the telephone company came and finished putting our lines underground and removed that pole.”

            There are a few places in Plain City where the cable is still in the air. The initial project for private line services with the cable placed underground was during the spring and summer of 1973. The completion date for the big push was October of 1973.

            The first telephone switchboard for Plain City was located in the back of the store owned by Thomas England. It was located on the same lot where Merlin England was born and lives, 4275 W 2650 N. The store was just west of the England home. The first two telephones in Plain City were those of the Senior Abram Maw and Thomas England. The charge of service was $1.00 per month. If a connection was wanted outside of the Plain City area, Lillian England, the switchboard operator would connect with the Ogden operator who would make further connections. There was no dial system at that time.

            The telephone office and switchboard was later moved to the location on the lot where Marvel England now lives.

            Merlin England and his wife, Florence, lived in this telephone building part of 1914 and 1915.

Merlin England and his wife, Florence, lived in this telephone building part of 1914 and 1915.
William Dolby Skeen

WILLIAM DOLBY SKEEN

SUBMITTED BY BEVERLY B. EDDY

            William Dolby Skeen and Mary Davis Skeen were among the first settlers of Plain City. William Skeen owned the first settlers of Plain City. William Skeen owned a race track in the south end of Plain City, which was then called four mile, now known as Pioneer Village. He owned two famous race horses, which he brought from Europe.

            William Dolby Skeen also built the first rock house in Plain City. The rocks used to build this house were hailed from the Hot Springs Mountain area.

Old Rock House build by William Dolby Skeen as it appears today.

THE OLD ROCK HOUSE

SUBMITTED BY NELDA ETHERINGTON

            William Dolby and Caroline Skeen’s log house was one of the early ones in Plain City. After living in it for a short time, he added an adobe section to it. In 1862 he erected a stone house securing his rock at the Utah Hot Springs and hauling it in by oxen. William Sharp, an early brick mason, laid the stones and helped Thomas Singleton in doing the carpenter work. Mary Anne Skeen Etherington was born in the log cabin and was one of the first babies in Plain City.

            Ebenezer Clawson Richardson purchased the rock house from William Skeen in 1868 and it remained in the Richardson family for almost a hundred years. The rock house is now owned by John Etherington, a Great-Grandson of William Skeen.

            Two of Ebenezer’s three wives shared the house. Polly Ann Child, wife #2, had the west three rooms and her sister wife #3 Phebe, had the east rooms, with the kitchen in the center. Both shared the “Front Room”. There had been a stairway in the Front Room, but, it was taken out to make more room so the boys had only a ladder to a small balcony on the south side to get to their bedrooms.

            The Richardsons were noted for their hospitality, and many parties and dances were held in the big front room. Ebenezer played the fiddle and also played it for the community dances and entertainment. At one time the boys had no shoes, which was not unusual for that day, so they pooled their money and bought a pair of shoes and the boys took turns wearing them at the dances.

            Ebenezer was forced to go to California to work in the gold mines in 1873. While he was there his foot was crushed by a falling rock. Infection set in and he died on September 27, 1874. Two sisters Polly and Phebe continued to share the home until 1905 when Polly Ann died and Phebe bought her share.

            The children grew up and one by one left to make homes of their own. Some of the boys brought their brides home for awhile. While one of the boys and his wife were living there, they had a set of premature twins which were buried under the grape vines that used to be in the center of the lot.

            In September, 1907, Phobe’s son Charlie, decided to buy the Old Rock House with his wife Amanda, and their six children Joe, Sarah, Mary Lodisa, Orpha, and Angeline. They left Pocatello, Idaho with all their worldly belongings in two covered wagons. The Old Rock House was alive again with the clatter and clamor of children after having stood empty for a few months.

            They loved it there and soon had a lot of dear friends. The three Grieve girls, Laura, Emma, and Ellen, the three Mc Elroy girls, Zara, Vesey, and Helen, and the Richardson girls all grew up like one happy family, sharing fun times and sometimes some squabbles, but always making up like real sisters. The Grieves’ had three tots, Willie, Violet, and Pete, little cherubs, mothered by all the girls until they didn’t know which house was their home. It was a lot of fun to sleep in the spooky upstairs in the hayloft in Mc Elroy’s barn, while Mary and Zara competed in who could tell the scariest ghost stories.

            Sometimes, Mr. Mc Elroy would bring his Edison Phonograph over and play records all evening. Amanda Richardson always found something to serve for refreshments and Charlie would bring in a long plank to place across two chairs to make seating room for the neighbors and children. One of the favorite records was “Wearing of the Green” by Henry Louder.

            The first Richardson to live I the Old Rock House were Ebenezer and Polly. Their children were Warren, Ebenezer, Angeline, and Levi. Phebe’s children were Amanda, Charles, Franklin, Cornelius, Chancy, Alfred, Myron, William Ezra, and Joseph having been born in the rock house. Ebenezer C. Richardson was the father of 34 children, not all which lived to maturity.

            The old Rock house has been a home to many people, its memory will live on for a long time.

Skeen Family, Back (l-r) Alex, Catherine, and Frenz Denial Skeen; Front: Clara Loretta, Mary Davis, and William Delbert

            Mary Davis Skeen was born in Llanelly, Wales, and arrived in Salt Lake Valley, Christmas Day 1856. On March 17, 1859, she arrived in Plain City with the first settlers. She was then a girl of thirteen years and was one of two single girls in the entire company.

            Mary Davis Skeen went through all the hardships incidents to a pioneer life, but always bore these hardships bravely.

            During an epidemic of small pox, she buried her last child. Three boys in all. Two of these children died in the same night. They were all buried at night and through fear of the dreaded disease, friends dared not to go near to offer their sympathy, in this dark hour. Six children were born to her after this.

            It is believed that Mary Davis’ mother, Mary Eyenon Davis, had the first flower garden in Plain City.

MARY ANN BAILY PADLEY SHARP

WILLIAM SHARP

            William Sharp, born December 10, [1826], in [Misson], Nottingham, England, married Mary Ann Padley in St. Louis. She was born November 28, 1828, in [Mattersey], Nottingham, England. They came across the plains in the Moses Clawson Company arriving in Salt Lake on September 15, 1853. They went to Lehi but the land was not too good and there was no good grazing for their cattle, so they left with the main group that settled in Plain City, arriving March 17, 1859. The children that came with them were Lorenzo Padley, Annie Elizabeth, and Milo Riley. Their daughter, Evelyn was the first white baby girl born in Plain City on October 12, 1859.

            The family lived in a wagon box while they built a log and adobe cabin. William Sharp was a carpenter and mason and made some of the first adobe. He helped build many of the first buildings in Plain City.

                                                                        Submitted by Albert Sharp

JOHN MAW

SUBMITTED BY IRENE SKEEN AND

DOROTHEA DeYOUNG

            Many many men did a great deal to make Plain City what it is today and one of these was John Maw.

            He was born in Plain City, January 16, 1868, the second son of Abraham and Eliza Tripp Maw, who had migrated here from Root, Lincolnshire, England. He received his formal education in the Plain City Public School and the Weber State Academy.

            He married Annie C. Poulsen, daughter of Andreas Peder and Hansene Hansen Poulsen, November 5, 1890, in the Logan Temple. From this union came eight children, Wilmer J., Abram, Irene, and Ira (twins), R. Rufus, Gilbert E., George C., and Dorothea.

            Mr. Maw, soon after his marriage, was associated with ZCMI store in Plain City for five years, following which he spent many years in the sheep business, along with farming. He had a large farm and gave many young men, at that time employment. To some, it was a lifetime career. At that time John Maw was given credit for “having taught many young men in Plain City to work”, because he was such a hard worker himself, he expected an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay from those who worked for him. It was often said, “We receive extra pay for working for John Maw because of the extra good food his good wife serves.”

            Much of his farming during his lifetime also included truck gardening. He was also engaged in the cattle business which he remained active in until the time of his death. One unfortunate experience he had with cattle happened in 1932. The cattle were crossing Frist Creek, north-west of Plain City, when the ice broke. He lost 42 head of cattle. He made the statement “Well, those who have them have to lose them, because the ones that don’t have them can’t.”

            In 1896, Mr. Maw, with others, was instrumental in building canning factory in Plain City. He was a member of the board and later was appointed manager. In the spring of 1920 he purchased the building and moved part of it to be used as the John Maw & Sons Store (later known as W.J. Maw & Sons). This store stood on the property west of the present bowery and extended back to the south end of the present church parking lot. As time went on the building was added on to. The store began as a grocery, hardware, lumber, coal, potato, and onion business. In 1928 the company became a Case Farm Machinery Dealer. After 1937 additional machinery lines were added and in  1948 the Surge Dairy Equipment line was taken over. In the early days of the store there was a wrestling ring in the upstairs of the store and wrestling and boxing matches were held. Roller skating also took place in the upstairs. The warehouse across the street was built in 1940 for potato, onion, and equipment storage. In 1963 the property was sold to the LDS Church and the buildings were later torn down. He also owned the store for some time that is now the Plain City Confectionery in which was sold mainly dry goods and confections and items not sold in the other store.

John and Annie Maw

            In 1907 & 1908 John Maw, Lyman Skeen and Mr. Eccles, head of the Utah – Idaho Railroad Company, negotiated for a railroad to Plain City. On Nov. 15, 1909 the first railroad was built into Plain City. This made a great difference in the lives of people living in the town because goods could be brought in and sent out more rapidly and people had transportation. Mr. Maw traveled to the east each spring to buy and ship home seed potatoes for the farmers, so with the railroad they could be brought directly to Plain City.

            He served as Sheriff of Plain City for 16 years. Along with others, he was involved with overseeing the building of the addition to the old church, and upstairs amusement hall and classrooms. Some years later he helped to raise the money and helped to oversee the construction of the old dance hall. It was known, at the time, as the open-air dance hall because so much of it was screen with drop shutters. It was later closed in and modernized some. Still later it was completely remodeled and used by the church for various reason, but later burned down.

            At the time the Utah Power & Light Company was wiring the town of Plain City for electricity, in about 1912, four men lived at john Maw’s home while working here. They first wired the town and then began wiring the houses. They hadn’t planned to connect any homes to the main line until all the homes were wired, but the working men found out that it was Mrs. Maw’s birthday on June 13th and decided to surprise her with the first lights in Plain City. They completed the hookup, even installing the light globes, and while the family were eating their evening meal one of the men slipped away and pushed the switch that turned all the lights on, inside and out. Every room of the two story house was lit up. Also Mrs. Maw’s family presented her with an electric washing machine that night. Because everyone had looked forward a long time with anticipation to having electricity there were many visitors at the Maw home that night.

            With all the many things John Maw was interested in and accomplished, one would have to say that his great love, his greatest concern and his ability to look into the future was with the irrigation work he did. He was connected with the Plain City Irrigation Company and the Weber River Users Association. He was president of the Plain City Irrigation Co. for about twenty-five years and a director of the Weber River Users Association, generally spoken of as Echo Project, for the most of thirty-five years. In this time, he served as vice president and also a member of the executive committee. He was greatly involved and worked on installation of siphons under railroad tracks and under the Ogden River, enabling farmers of the district to get their irrigation water direct from the Weber River. During this project, which was a tremendous one, he lost of one of his best horses in quicksand. In this association with the Echo Dam Project, he purchased much of the land for that project.

            One of the highlights of Mr. and Mrs. Maw’s married life was their trip to Europe to meet their youngest son George as he was returning from a mission to South Africa. They were able to visit the native lands of their parents and many others. They were gone for three months.

            Mr. Maw was a very thoughtful man and deeply concerned about the welfare of others. While in business, for Christmas he would deliver a ton of coal to the widows and needy families. He would also kill some of his beef cattle and take meat to those people. Of course, he didn’t limit this to only Christmas time but as he saw peoples need.

            At the time of his illness, he was in the hospital in extreme pain but even then he was worried about the water situation. We had such a dry spring and the crops were not coming up, so everyone was praying for rain, and whenever anyone entered his room he would say “Is it raining?”

            He passed away May 27, 1936, at the age of sixty-eight. His funeral was held May 31st in the old Ogden Tabernacle. It was very strange – whether it was I answer to people’s prayers, a coincidence that it happened at that time, or as many people thought a tribute to him for his great work in irrigation and his concern for other people, that the rain came down in torrents, before, during, and for some time after the funeral. It was like the very heavens had opened to let down rain.

            One speaker at the funeral said in tribute to him, “I think I can properly say that John Maw is as near a human dynamo as I have ever met. He was full of energy and spent an unusual active life. He thrived on obstacles. It seemed no obstacle was too great for him to tackle, and he usually succeeded. It just seemed to whet his determination to be under difficulties, and he always wanted to carry his load.” He has been missed greatly by his family, his friends and associates.

Maw’s warehouse built in 1940
Maw’s confectionery

LYMAN SKEEN HOME

            The home was built about 1870 and was added onto several times. It is still standing and is owned today by George and Charleen Cook.

Right to Left… Lyman S. Skeen (1850), Sabra Alice Skeen (1887-91), Electa P. Dixon (1852), Isabelle Skeen (Charlton) ( 1889), Lyman Skeen (1871)-away at medical school, Charles Skeen (1872), Joseph Skeen (1876), David Skeen (1885), Emma Jane Skeen (1881), Electa Skeen (Johnson) (1879), and Mary Ellen Skeen (Rawson) ( 1883). Picture was taken in the summer of 1889.

AUGUSTA K. KENLEY HOME

Augusta K Kenley Home

            Augusta K. Kenley was born in Germany and came here as a convert to the church. On September 23, 1894 there was a small church located directly across the road from her home. It was called the Poplar Branch and Sunday School, primary, Religious Classes, as well as day school were held here. Room was scarce and so for many years she prepared two or three rooms of her home every Sunday morning for the smaller children who marched over and had their classes in her home. She had small benches made to fit her children and each Sunday as she cleaned her rooms the benches were put into another room to be kept clean and dry for the next week. They were never put outside. It is not known exactly how many years this was carried out, but the church did away with the Poplar Branch and was joined with the Plain City people. The picture shows Augusta K. Kenley and her home. It was later moved by Lynn Folkman to 2230 North 4350 West and is still owned by him.

EARLY HOMES

Home of Andrew Peter Poulsen. Karan Kirstina, Pedar, Annie, Petra, Sena, Andrew Peter, Hans P. Poulsen

Later the home of Hans Poulsen, and now the home of Bernard Poulsen. The home has been remodeled.

Home of Jens Peter Folkman

The addition on the north or left side was the store run by Jens P. Folkman, and later by Peter M. Folkman. Peter M. Folkman built an addition to the store with a meat market and cooler for the meat.

HENRY JAMES GARNER

SUBMITTED BY RULON B. GARNER

            Henry James Garner was born June 9, 1855, in Ogden, Utah. He was the son of Henry Garner and Melvina M. Browning. Henry Garner Sr. was the son of Phillip Garner who was a member of the Mormon Batallion. When mustered out in California, he returned to Utah, bringing the first pound of alfalfa seed to Utah.

            Henry J. Garner was married to Eliza Ann Ballantyne January 31, 1884. Eight children were born by this union.

            In 1894, Henry J. Garner came to Plain City as store manager for Zion Cooperative, where he worked from 1884 to 1894. The Plain City store was located on the northwest corner of his block from the town square. Later he and Robert Maw bought the store together and operated it as a partnership. They also owned some sheep. About a year later, Henry J. Garner bought a farm and a house (the O. J. Swenson property). He operated this first store until he bought one of the old smelter buildings out near the Utah Hot Springs. This was about 1906. The building was too large to move in one piece, so he employed George Streeter, who sawed the building in half, and he put bob sleighs under each half and when the snow was sufficient, they moved the smelter building and set it up about a half block south of the first store. There it was set on a foundation and reconditioned as a General Merchandise Store. The name of the store was Henry J. Garner & Sons. He operated this store and farm until 1922, when he sold them, and retired. He then operated a chicken business until 1925. He then sold out in Plain City and bought a house in Ogden, Utah, at 3135 Ogden Avenue.

            In 1897, he was elected school trustee with S. P Draney and Milo Sharp. He served four years. The school districts were then consolidated and one large school house was built. Prior to this time, school was conducted in three, one-room school houses. On June 16, 1901, the L.D.S. Sunday School was organized with Henry J. Garner, Superintended, O. C. Raymond, first Assistant. and L. R. Jenkins, Second Assistant, Clara Jenkins as Secretary, and George Hunt, Treasurer. He served as first counsel to Bishop George W. Bramwell, with Peter M. Folkman as second counselor. On June 28, 1906, Bishop Bramwell resigned, and Henry J. Garner was selected as Bishop to fill his vacancy. Peter M. Folkman was first counselor, Peter B. Green, second counselor. Stake authorities present were L. W. Shurtliff and C. F. Middleton.

            Henry J. Garner’s wife Eliza died of an accident with an electric washing machine on October 23, 1916. He married Jane Liddle Warner, May 1, 1918, in the Salt Lake Temple.

            After Henry J. garner was released from the Bishopric, he was a member of the North Weber Stake of the L.D.S. Church until he moved to Ogden in 1925.

            Henry J. Garner died April 6, 1934 at the age of 79.

Henry James Garner when he moved to Plain City in 1894
Henry J. Garner and wife Jane L. Warner Garner, Milton Garner, Leona Warner
Henry J. Garner

 LYMAN SKEEN CONSTRUCTION CAMP

Lyman Skeen construction camp

            These are part of the men and women, teams of horses and equipment, that worked and built the railroad near the Hot Springs. Left To Right:  The man holding the hand plow on the left is Sant Manson. Charles Skeen is holding the white team. Blaine Skeen is the boy in front. Lyman Skeen is the man standing in front. Louis Carver, a son-in law of Lyman Skeen. He also served as timekeeper for the company. We cannot identify any of the others.

THE MC ELROY STORE

            George and Martha Mc Elroy moved to Plain City from Philadelphia, Pa., with their two sons, George Jr. and Bill. They purchased the land where the garage and the “Old Mc Elroy Home” stands, from William and Mina Gampton for $600.00 in September, 1903.

            Mr. Mc Elroy was a cabinet maker and some of his original carpenter work is still found in the front of the garage. He was an inventor and had several of his inventions patented, he build several homes in the Plain City area, some of which are still in use.

            The carpenter shop was in the rear of the building and they had a candy shop in the front. Helen, Vesey, and Zara Mc Elroy worked in the candy shop after school, but when “Mas Mac” was there, she gave the candy away. Mr. Mc Elroy liked to tease the youngsters from school and would nail pennies on-to the counters. One of the old displays counters is still in use in the front of the garage.

            The Mc Elroy store was the first building in Plain City to have electric lights. Mr. Mc Elroy was an agent for Modern Electric Company of 2422 Hudson Ave. in Ogden (now called Kiesel Ave.).

            The Mc Elroys lived in Plain City for 28 years before moving to California. Their Son-in -Law Roland Etherington bought the carpenter shop and turned it into a garage, building onto the original shop several times. It was known as Roll’s Garage until 1959 when Roland died and his son John Etherington took it over and the name was changed to Jack’s Garage.

George Mc Elroy in front of his store

ROLL’S GARAGE

            Roland Etherington purchased the “Mc Elroy Store” from Geo. Mc Elroy and opened Roll’s Garage in 1931. Roll Graduated from the Sweeney Automotive School, Kansas City, Mo.,

            Some of the people who have worked for Roll are:

                                                Lawrence Carver

                                                Clair Folkman

                                                Homer Poulsen

                                                Don Jensen, from 1939 to the present

                                                John Young

                                                Sam Hori

                                                Elmer Ericson

                                                Marshall Ericson

                                                And many others.

            Additions were made to the garage in 1938, 1944, and 1955. The bulk Gas and Oil Plant was started in 1951. It was known as Jack & Roll’s Gas & Oil Company.

            Roland Etherington died in 1959 and his John Etherington took over the business and changed the name to jack’s Garage.

Jack’s Garage as it appears today

Bowen in Tucson, Arizona

Bowen home in the Tucson hills

I recently attended the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) annual conference in Tucson, Arizona at Starr Pass. The resort is secluded and away from downtown. From the resort there were a number of trails and my law school buddy, Andrew Curtis, and I took a few of them out to see the desert. We were also joined by Michael Wilder on our last evening in Tucson.

That last evening we hiked over to the Bowen House. There is an interpretive sign in the desert, a few articles online. Sherry and Ruby Bowen moved to Tucson in the 1920s from Rockford, Illinois. The change of climate was to help with her heart complications. He was a typesetter who eventually became the editor of the Arizona Daily Star. They moved to this location in 1931 and started this home while living in a cabin.

Michael Wilder and Andrew Curtis visiting in front of the Bowen House

The Bowens left Tucson in 1944 and moved to New York City where Sherry Bowen worked for the Associated Press.

Of course the genealogist in me was curious about the man and woman more than the house. I found this article from Alex Jay on the Stripper’s Guide.

View of Tucson from Starr Pass Marriott

“Sherry B. Bowen was born Sherry Bowen Krauskopf in Maywood, Illinois, on March 13, 1900, according to the Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index at Ancestry.com. His parents were Charles C. and Mary Hort. Bowen served in the Army during World War I and on his Report of Interment card, his birth surname was crossed out and “Bowen” was written above it. A note said he had legally changed his name but the date of the change was not recorded.

Starr Pass Marriott Resort

“The 1900 U.S. Federal Census said Bowen was the only child and his father was a school teacher. In the 1910 census, the family still resided in Maywood and their address was 900 8th Avenue. Bowen had a younger brother, Karl, and their father was a principal and teacher.

According to the Interment card, Bowen’s Army service started May 28, 1918. He was a private in Company B, 336th Battalion, Tank Corps. He was discharged July 18, 1919.

In 1920 Bowen was a university student and still lived with his parents at the same address. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York), August 5, 1956, said Bowen studied at the University of Illinois and then joined the Bloomington, Illinois, Pantagraph. Bowen’s move was reported in the Daily Illini, February 1, 1922.

Krauskopf Resigns Illini Position for Job on Pantagraph

Sherry B. Krauskopf ’23 has resigned as one of the news editors of The Daily Illini to accept a position on the editorial staff of the Bloomington Pantagraph. He will leave to assume his new duties Saturday.

Krauskopf will start as a reporter but will be given a taste of the mechanical side of newspaper work and will De training on the city editor’s desk as he intends to follow the editorial phases of newspaper work.

Beginning as a reporter in his freshman year Krauskopf has rounded out five semesters of work on the staff of The Daily Illini, two years as a reporter and thus far this year he has been one of the six news editors.

The Illini, January 20, 1923, reported Bowen’s marriage to Ruby Butts.

Ruby Butts Take Vows Of Marriage To S . B. Krauskopf Another romance of The Daily Illini culminated in a wedding last night when Ruby D. Butts ’23 became the bride of Sherry Krauskopf ’23 at 7 o’clock in the home of the Rev. James C. Baker, 1209 West Green street, Urbana. Mr. Baker read the service before members of the immediate families.The date for the wedding had originally been set for June, but owing to the serious illness of the groom, the ceremony was performed last night. The bride wore a gown of black satin and Spanish lace and a corsage of American roses. Geraldine Hegit ’23, who was bridesmaid, wore blue taffeta and carried a shower bouquet of La France roses. Karl H. Krauskopf ’26, brother of the groom, acted as best man. Mrs. Krauskopf has been a member of the staff of The Daily Illini for the past three years and was society editor this year until forced to resign because of ill health. The groom was a reporter on The Daily Illini in his freshman and sophomore years and was a news editor last year.

According to the Democrat and Chronicle, Bowen moved on to the Springfield, Illinois, Register. In Tucson Arizona, Bowen was at the Independent and then worked 16 years at the Arizona Daily Star.

The 1930 census recorded Bowen, a newspaper reporter, and his wife, in Tucson on North 1st Avenue. The 1933 and 1934 Tucson city directories listed his address as Route 1, Box 399A. In 1935 he resided in the Tucson Mountains. Bowen’s address was Anklam Road in the 1936 directory.

Bowen’s home and surroundings were described at the Pima County website.

Bowen brought his wife, Ruby, to Tucson from Rockford, Ill., in the late 1920s in hopes that the climate would improve her health. Bowen was a typesetter and later city editor at the Arizona Daily Star. The Bowens homesteaded in the Tucson Mountains and began living in a cabin there in 1931 while Bowen built the house of native stone. They expanded their claim to 2,000 acres. Ruby Bowen wrote for Desert Magazine of the Southwest. Her diary of her first year in the Tucson Mountains refers to the wildlife she saw, including javelina, deer and wild mountain sheep that came to the base of the cliffs nearly every evening to graze. She wrote that a mountain lion would pace about when she was cooking meat and once attempted to get in the window.

In 1944, Bowen moved to New York City to work for the Associated Press. Some of his reporting can be read in the Spokane Daily Chronicle, the Southeast Missourian and Toledo Blade.

American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Bowen wrote The Story of Santa Claus which was drawn by Ed H. Gunder and ran from December 17 to 22, 1951. The strip was syndicated by the Associated Press.

Bowen passed away August 4, 1956, in the Bronx, New York. He was buried at the Long Island National Cemetery. Bowen’s wife, Ruby, passed away November 30, 1961. Bowen and his wife are survived by a daughter, Gloria, who lives in Nevada. Ten-year-old Gloria was profiled in the Tucson Daily Citizen, March 27, 1954. 

Moving back to the Conference, it was a great chance to get reacquainted with my law school friend, Andrew Curtis. These conferences are good as I get continuing education credits for both Idaho and Utah. Nothing too earth-shattering learned, confirming much of what I knew or had forgotten. But a great opportunity to stay in a very nice resort and visit a new area.

Paul Ross and Andrew Curtis flying to Tucson from Salt Lake City

William and Martha Wayment

William and daughter, Martha Wayment

I previously wrote of an interesting incident I had with Aliza in the Plain City, Utah Cemetery. I have thought about that several more times as we have been back to visit. It seems fitting I finally follow up and provide some additional information on William and Martha Wayment.

Aliza with William and Martha Wayment tombstone in 2016
James, Amanda, Lillian, Aliza, and Hiram Ross with tombstones for Martha and William Wayment in 2020. My William Edward Stoker’s tombstone is in the background.

As you can see, there is a little biography poster for Memorial Day. The history there is pretty brief. I found a couple of histories on William and Martha. I am posting these two for the history to be available for my children, who are descendants of William and Martha Wayment. First is the history for William, then Martha.

“William Wayment (Whayment) was born to Joseph Wayment (Whaymond) and Mary Rook Wayment. He was born 14 May 1822, in Whaddon Parish, Cambridgeshire, England. He was a small and fragile baby, but survived through his parents loving care. William was christened on 2 June 1822, in Whaddon Parish, Cambridgeshire, England. Two years later, there is a christening record dated 6 June 1824, another brother, Robert, frail from birth, who sustained life for seven months, buried 23 January 1825. William was their only surviving child.

“There are several different accounts of Joseph and Mary Rook Wayment and their descendants. Another account is this; the couple also married 15 March 1813, and lived in Barrington, Cambridgeshire, where they had become the parents of six children, three of whom, Ann, John, and Joseph, had died prior to their moving to Whaddon about 1819. This would make William the seventh, instead of the first born. The only surviving child of this union that I can find recordson is William Wayment, our ancestor.

“Whaddon is a small town in the district of Roysten and County of Cambridge with a population at that time of about 319 people living in about 60 houses. The manor belonged to Lord Hardwicke. A famous old stone Parish has stood over the town for many years.

“Very little is known about William’s early years. It is known that he received some education and learned how to read and write. Most likely he went to work at an early age, as was custom for children of that time. It is most probable, his frail beginning coupled with his early work years and sometimes meager meals stunted his growth. He often referred to himself as ‘a runt.’ All of his sons were taller than he. Our best information indicates he was small of stature, about five feet and eight or nine inches in height. He was known as a laborer and sometimes a miner, likely working wherever he could be employed.

“His father, Joseph Wayment, died and was buried 12 July 1840, in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England. William was about eighteen or nineteen years of age

“Sometime after the death of his father, William began courting Martha Brown, a young, fair woman of the Bassingbourne Parish. The courtship bloomed and they were married Christmas day, 25 December 1841, in the Parish of Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England. A clerk at Somerset House, England, pointed this out to Hollis R. Johnson when he requested and received a certified copy of their marriage certificate: William signed his last name as Whayment, giving his age as twenty and listed himself as a laborer. Martha gave her age as nineteen and listed herself as a spinster, a title used under English law for any woman who had never married. William and his bride made their home with his widowed mother, Mary Rook Wayment.

“The Wayment family lived in the same house in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England for more than 300 years, but like most others in England, they did not own the property. They only rented. When the Wayment family moved to America, the ancestral home was claimed by the government as a Post Office. The house was one of those quaint old, two story cottages, constructed of white stone masonry and had a thatched roof. Vines grew up the walls and flowers grew on either side of the cobblestone path leading to the entrance. The fireplace was large enough to walk in with seats built on either side of the fire. A kettle hung down, stopping just above the fire. Martha did all of the cooking and baking in this huge fireplace. Years later this house was put on the market and a member of the Wayment family, by the name of Waymond (Wayment), purchased this property. Wayment descendants still reside in this home today, 2006.

“William and Martha Brown Wayment began their married life under very limited circumstances. Although an extremely hard worker, William never accumulated much wealth. Coming from a wealthy family, their modest home and insufficient circumstances were a source of embarrassment at times for Martha. It has been said that Williams earnings were often around eight shillings a week (about two dollars U.S. money). With this money, there were food, clothing, coal and rent to pay for. By careful management they were able to take care of their children as they came into their family.

“Although not a proficient provider, William proved to be a very loving, a kind and caring husband. They had eight children together, six boys and two girls. Two children died early, one at one day the other at one year and three months. It is also said that he was an exemplary father.

“All William and Martha’s children were born in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England. 1) Male, Aaron Wayment born 14 Nov 1842 died 15 Nov 1842 2) Male, Joseph Wayment born 7 Feb 1844 died 20 Dec 1931 3) Male, Samuel Wayment 28 May 1846 died 1 Jul 1912 4) Male, William Wayment Born 1 Mar 1849 died 19 Jun 1850 5) Female, Emily Wayment born 15 Apr 1851 died 15 Mar 1925 6) Male, John Brown Wayment born13 Apr 1854 died 30 Sept 1923 7) Male, William Thomas Wayment born 29 Apr 1859 died 15 Feb 1943 8) Female, Martha Wayment born 25 Mar 1863 died 19363

“All their children were taught to be responsible and dependable workers. But as one granddaughter, Thora Wayment Shaw stated, “it seemed necessary for them to come to America to develop their full potential.”

“As their children became old enough, they hired out to work for farmers in the area. Their work included keeping birds out of the cherry trees, pulling poppies out of grain fields and other needed farm work. Among other things, they learned to stand the bundles of grain up in small groups, called “shocks” to dry. When dry, the grain was then piled into high pointed stacks to help shed the rain while awaiting to be threshed. Some of the farmers were very hard on these young workers. Often the children would leave home at five o’clock in the morning and work until they were called for breakfast between eight and nine o’clock. Sometimes the meal was very meager. They would break around noon for lunch then continue to work until seven at night. Joseph and William T. describe one of their employers as “the meanest man on earth.”

“At that time in history, they wore a peculiar type of “smock” clothing. William T. said that it resembled a long sack with sleeves coming out of the corners and a hole in the end between the sleeves to put your head through. This ‘smock’ came down below the knees, which prevented a person from taking a long step. To jump a ditch or run, the “smock” had to be pulled up. Often the jumper landed in the water of the ditch, much to his embarrassment and to the amusement of others. If the “smock” became wet, it seemed to shrink and stick tight to the body it was covering. Usually one had to have help to get out of a wet “smock.”

“William and Martha Brown Wayment were contacted by the first Mormon missionaries in their area. William Wayment listened to their message becoming convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 28 May 1850. He and his wife Martha opened up their home to the missionaries. This was a very courageous act on their part, because many people in their community stirred up hate to prevent the spread of the gospel. This malevolence made it necessary for the Saints to hold their meetings in different houses and to hold baptisms at night to avoid the mobs that were continually a threat to them. William was ordained an elder in the church 5 March 1876. Between 1850 and 1878, the traveling LDS missionaries always found a bed to sleep in and meals with the Wayment family. William and Martha’s home was also used as a place for the Saints and friends to meet and hear the gospel. William Wayment and George East, both our great-grandfathers, were great friends, tracted together and loved to do missionary work together before they came to America.

“Martha was one of the first to accept the message of the gospel brought by the Elders, however, due to the objections and threats of disinheritance she prolonged her baptism. Martha was baptized on 1 May, 1857, about seven years after her husband embraced the gospel. When word, of her accepting the gospel and being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reached her father, Samuel Brown, he disinherited her, cutting her off with only a few shillings. However, this did not change her mind. Setting an example with her husband, they taught their children the principles of the gospel. All of their children were baptized into the church. Joseph, Samuel, and Emily were baptized by John Jacklin on 7 May 1860.

“The first test of faith and understanding of the gospel for William Wayment came with the illness and death of his mother, Mary Rook Wayment. She died 19 March 1853, and was buried four days later in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England, beside her husband. William had fulfilled his final obligation to his mother.

“In the spring of 1863, William and Martha were experiencing some challenging and sobering thoughts. A new baby girl had been born to them 25 Mar 1863. Their oldest son, Joseph, was planning to leave their home to journey with a group of Saints to the Utah Territory in the United States. After careful consideration, the Wayment family set up a mutual plan to migrate to America and the land of Zion. They would all work together to save money, then send one at a time until they were all settled in the Utah Territory. At that time, Joseph worked with his father in the fossil diggings or fossil mines earning money for his transportation.

“On 4 June 1863, William and Martha’s oldest living son, Joseph, listed as Joseph Whaymond, age 19, was the first to leave, sailing from London, England, emigrating to the United States of America aboard the Amazon. This was a large 1600 ton ship, but Joseph was seasick almost all the way across the Atlantic. Arriving in New York 20 July 1863, he took the train to a point on the Missouri River, then by boat up the river to Florence, Nebraska. From there he walked and drove an ox team in Captain McCarthy’ the Dixie Company all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. It took four months to make the trip from his father’s home.

“Joseph was sent to Salt Creek, Utah, by Brigham Young, to help settle this area. Joseph planted the first fruit trees in Warren. He was the first road supervisor and the father of the first born white child of Warren, Sarah Wayment Hansen. In England, William and Martha continued to guide their children in the gospel. John was baptized and confirmed by John Jacklin on 15 April 1866.

“The passenger’s manifest of 1868, show Samuel and Casting Chapman Wayment emigrated to New York that year aboard the Constitution. Arriving in New York 6 August 1868, they continued across the continent by train to Fort Bento, then by covered wagon in the John Gillespie Company to Salt Lake City. Five years later in 1873, John followed Joseph and Samuel to America on the ship Nevada,and onto the Salt Creek District of Utah, which later was named Warren.

“Samuel Wayment first worked and lived in Deweyville and Cove Fort before settling in the Salt Creek District. They built their home at 1239 North 5900 West where Chester Wayment lived and now Matthew Wayment lives. On that very spot, the first house that Samuel and Castina built burnt to the ground along with the barn. The animals were cooked, so the people who had come to help put out the fire went home, retrieved knives, pots and pans and returned to cut up the meat.

“After Samuel and Castina left for America, William and Martha remained in England with only three children at home. On 4 March 1872, John Brown (Whayment) was ordained a priest by George Wilkins. On 31 May 1873, William Thomas (Whayment) was baptized by John Jacklin. The spirit of gathering to Zion continued to work with the Wayment family.

“The sixth child, John Brown, completed preparations, and at age 19, booked passage on the ship Nevada and sailed from Liverpool, England, 9 July 1873. Arriving in New York, he headed to Utah Territory to join his brothers. John lived with his brother Joseph in what they called “Bachelor Headquarters” in Salt Creek.

“The saving of money was slow and hard to come by so when William T. became about ten years of age, he began working in the fossil fields to help earn passage to America. Part of the time he pushed a wheelbarrow around the mine, which was very difficult for a lad of his age. He worked in the Fossil Fields until the goal was reached. (This was work in the peat bogs. Peat is compact, dark-brown organic material with high carbon content, built up by the partial decay and carbonization of vegetation in the acid water of bogs. Dried peat was and is compressed into briquettes, used in European Countries as fuel, although it is not as efficient as coal because of its large content of water and ash. Peat can also be used for mulching and soil improvement.)

“According to early church records of Norwich Conference, Martha (Whayment) was baptized 13 September 1874, by John Jacklin. On 5 March 1876, William (Whayment) was ordained an Elder by Shadrack Empey. On 4 April 1876, William (Whayment) baptized Sarah East, daughter of George East, Sr. and Rhoda Stanford East into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Sarah was sister to Javes East, who is father of Hazel Caroline East Wayment, our grandmother, who married Theodore Wayment, grandson of William Wayment.) The following week, Sarah East, her parents and six brothers and a sister left England for Utah Territory. They sailed from Liverpool, England, on the ship Wyoming,13 September 1876. Sarah East became a daughter-in-law to William and Martha when she married their son John Brown Wayment. This took place on 7 October 1877, in Weber County, Utah.

“After John Brown left home, the family continued to unite their efforts. Final preparations to emigrate to Utah Territory were made in the spring of 1878. With their savings and help from their sons in Utah, they booked passage on the sea going vessel, the Nevada. The Nevada was Mastered by H. Gadd who hailed his home as Glasgow, Scotland. After leaving their port of departure, Liverpool, England, the ship docked in Queenstown, Ireland, where they picked up more passengers. William and family were numbered among the 443 passengers who made their crossing in steerage, as he was unable to supply the coin for being listed among those 54 passengers in the ship’s cabins. His trade was listed as a farmer. They then made sail for New York where they arrived there on 5 June 1878. There were no deaths at sea recorded on this voyage, however, the people in steerage welcomed a male infant on 30 May 1878, with the surname of Larsen.

“Martha Wayment East, later in life, told granddaughter, Rhea Marriott, “The weather was good all the way over and the ocean was calm to what it usually was, but I was seasick practically all the way. After traveling on water for ten days, we reached Castle Gardens, New York. While we were there, I bought a tomato for two pennies, the first I had ever tasted. From Castle Gardens we boarded Pullman cars to Philadelphia. We changed here to immigrant cars which were very uncomfortable. It was beautiful in the east, but gradual signs of habitation vanished and scenes about us were dry and barren. It was all so strange here, away out west, and very different from what we had expected it to be.”

“Arriving in Ogden, Utah Territory, 13 June 1878, the family was met by Joseph and Samuel. After fifteen years, this was a joyful reunion. They were then taken to Samuel’s home. After living there a few months, William followed the instructions of church leaders and settled in the Salt Creek area, to help build up the Salt Creek District.

“William and family continued to live with Samuel and Castina, while they built a log house. Their log home was located about a quarter-of-a-mile south of the present corner of 5900 West and 700 North and about 200 yards west of the present county road. There were some trees at that spot, but it was dry and hot. Stumps of these trees marked the spot for many years. William built a bowery next to the house to give a little more shade from the sun. Russian Olive trees grew on this spot for years to give shade to sheep and cattle. Living on the land was a basis to apply later for Homestead rights. William applied for homestead rights to this quarter section of land. The logs for their home were hauled from the Wasatch Mountain Range along with firewood. These trips took several days and they would camp out along the way, where they had several encounters with bears.

“In this new and strange land they had to acclimatize to the semiarid climate. This was indeed a marked change from the verdant area of their home in England. They planted cottonwood trees, yellow roses, tea vines and any other plants that would grow fast. They helped establish the community and met the hardships endured by other families pioneering new homes. Martha Wayment East said, “It was hard work, but we had a good time in our work of making a town.

“William was a farmer and a rancher. He also owned a prize set of horses that he entered in shows and contests.

“Daughter Martha would become the first school teacher in Salt Creek. William T. would become the first residing bishop of Warren and would sustain that calling for 17 years.

“On 5 January 1882, William and Martha traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to the endowment house, where they both received their own endowments and were sealed in marriage for time and all eternity.

“Their daughter, Emily Wayment Negus, with her husband, William, and three of their children, sailed from Liverpool, England, 2 September 1882, on the ship Wyoming. Two of this couple’s children had died and were buried in England. With the arrival of Emily and her family, William and Martha once again had all their living children and grandchildren around then to enjoy, but this was short lived.

“A year and three months later after their sealing, in the spring, William contracted Typhoid fever and inflammation. He succumbed to the illness nine days later on 17 May 1883. He was buried in the Plain City Cemetery, Plain City, Weber, Territory of Utah. His death left his beloved wife, Martha, four sons and two daughters, Joseph, Samuel, John and William T., Emily W. Negus and Martha Wayment without their patriarch. William was also survived by eighteen living grandchildren, all living in the Salt Creek area.

“His obituary said he was an honest, industrious and truthful man, a kind husband and an exemplary father. His house was always open to the servants of God, as a haven of rest and hospitality. His faith was unshaken in the principles of Eternal Life, and he had died as he had lived, a faithful Latter-day Saint. He was interred in the Plain City Cemetery, being conveyed thither by a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends.

“Compiled by Joan Wayment Creamer

Sources; West Warren History 1975, Warren History 1995, Ogden Junction Database, New York passenger lists 1851-1891, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Alma W.& Martha M. Hansen, June Wayment Orton, Mildred Wayment Bird.

Back (l-r): Sarah, Martha, Leonard, Mary; Middle: Hannah, Joseph, Ann, Martha; Sitting: Walter Wayment

Here is the history for Martha Brown Wayment.

“On 26 May 1823, Martha Brown became the fourth child born to Samuel and Mary Wade Brown in Bassingbourne, Cambridgeshire, England. She was their only girl who survived infancy.

“Cambridgeshire, a flat coastal plain is located in the southeast part of England. The climate is moderate with much rainfall which produces abundant vegetation. This area produced peat bogs where many men worked.

“Martha’s grandfather, William Brown of Whaddon, has been described as a very wealthy farmer. His son, Samuel, Martha’s father, was disinherited after he fell in love and married a servant girl, Mary Wade who worked for his parents.

“After being disinherited, young Samuel and his wife, Martha’s parents, moved to Bassingbourne where he became a butcher by trade. He also acquired and owned some land and sheep. Later he expanded his business and is said to have become a very well-to-do merchant. Samuel and Mary Wade Brown were good, moral people and highly respected in the community of Bassingbourne.

“The Bassingbourne Parish register records this couple of having nine children, seven boys and two girls. All were born in Bassingbourne. 1) William Brown, christened 24 July 1814, and died 13 January 1894, age 80 2) Martha Brown, christened 15 September 1816, and died 27 June 1817, 9 months 3) Samuel Brown, Jr, born Sept.1818, christened 11 Oct.1818, died January 1890, age72 4) Martha Brown, born 26 May 1823, christened, 20 Jul.1823, and died 12 Apr.1905, age 82 5) Thomas Brown, christened 28 July 1827, and died 21 July 1901, age 74 6) John Brown christened 30 May 1829, and died 18 March 1906, age 77 7) Joseph Brown, christened 25 September 1831, and died in August 1903, age 72 8) Richard Brown, born 15 February 1835, and died 3 April 1835, 2 months 9) Simeon Brown, born September 1840, and died 14 December 1872, age 32.

“It is said that the Browns were a family of large men, with each son being more than six feet in height. They also claim to have had a longevity of life, however only one of them lived to be more than eighty, and that was Martha Brown Wayment. The others, except the two infants and Simeon, lived full lives into their seventies.

“Martha Brown Wayment’s Brothers; William, Thomas and John, joined the English army between the ages of twenty and twenty-five. Because of their height, ‘well over six feet,’ these men were chosen to serve in the King’s Guard and marched in the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Thomas and John deserted the Army and came to America. Thomas’s arrival in America was by quite by accident. The ship he booked passage on wrecked and he was the only survivor. After floating in the Atlantic Ocean for three days, he was rescued by an American vessel, which brought him on to America. Later he married a woman named Lavina and called Clyde County, Kansas their home. They had no children. Thomas wrote to the English government requesting his pension which was given to all English soldiers. The English government replied, telling him they’d give him all that he was entitled to if he returned to England and give up his citizenship in America. Thomas declined and elected to stay in America.

“After coming to America, John Brown changed his name to John Clark. He took a wife and settled in Minnesota. They had a large family. Several years before William T. Wayment died, one of John’s daughters came to Utah and visited with him. She also stayed at the home of Martha Wayment East. That was the last recorded communication with the Clark families from Minnesota.

“William served fourteen years in the English Army, then returned to his home in Bassingbourne. He fought in the Crimean War, Battle of Enlseman and the Russian War of 1848. After the Russian War he returned to England and received a service pension for the remainder of his days.

“When Samuel Brown, Martha’s father, was too old to work any longer, Samuel Jr. took over his father’s business. Joseph also remained home, making his living as a common laborer. When Samuel Sr. died, he bequeathed all his cash earnings to his youngest son, Simeon. Simeon died of alcoholism at the age of thirty-two.

“Martha Brown Wayment; Samuel and Mary Wade Brown provided their children with the best education available. Martha worked in her father’s butcher shop. From her mother, she learned to be frugal, clean and how to keep a neat, tidy house. It has been said about Martha that she was sometimes upset by the unclean habits of some of the older members of the family around her in England.

“In a Relief Society Lesson Publication, Pamphlet #32, dated December 1910, contains short biographies and testimonies of outstanding pioneer women of the North Weber Stake. Martha Brown Wayment told: “When about twelve years of age, there was a strange preacher came there, called a ‘Mormon.’ They were very desirous of hearing what he had to say and went to a meeting. When dinner time came, she seeing them without dinner, no place to go and no money to buy it with, she told her mother that she would go without dinner if she would let the preacher have it, but her mother was not so inclined.” (Martha Brown would have been fourteen years of age when she saw the first missionaries. The first missionaries arrived in Liverpool, England, 20 July 1837.)

“Sometime after the summer of 1840, Martha Brown met William Wayment. Their courtship culminated into a Christmas day wedding the following year. They were married, 25 December 1841, in the Parish of Whaddon Cambridgeshire, England. A copy of their marriage certificate shows William signed his last name as Whayment, listed his age as twenty and his occupation as a laborer.

“Martha gave her age as nineteen, listed herself as a spinster, a title used under English law for any woman who had never married. Martha and her new husband moved in with William’s widowed mother, Mary Rook Whayment.

“The Whayment home was a white vine-covered masonry, two-story cottage, with a thatched roof. The main floor contained two rooms. The largest room had a walk-in fireplace on one end with built in seats on opposite interior walls. The cooking was done in kettles hanging in this fireplace.

“Martha and William began their lives together under very limited circumstances. Though William was a hard worker, they never accumulated much wealth. It is said that William earnings sometimes amounted to eight shillings a week which is equivalent to about two U. S. dollars. Their modest home and limited circumstances was a source of embarrassment at times for Martha. But by careful management they were able to take care of their growing family.

“As a young bride and living in her mother-in-law’s home, Martha found that circumstances and conditions were not always pleasant. One day at the most distressing of times, Martha threatened to leave the Whayment home and her husband. She went into a small room or clothes closet to get some of her things. Her mother-in-law quickly closed the door, locked her in and kept her there until Martha promised not to leave. Satisfactory adjustments were made and Martha kept her promise to stay.

“All William and Martha’s children were born in Whaddon, Cambridgeshire,England. 1) Male, Aaron Wayment born 14 Nov 1842 died 15 Nov 1842, age 1 day 2) Male, Joseph Wayment born 7 Feb 1844 died 20 Dec 1931, age 78 3) Male, Samuel Wayment 28 May 1846 died 1 Jul 1912, age 66 4) Male, William Wayment Born 1 Mar 1849 died 19 Jun 1850, age 1 year 5) Female, Emily Wayment born 15 Apr 1851 died 15 Mar 1925, age 74 6) Male, John Brown Wayment born 13 Apr 1854 died 30 Sept 1923, age 69 7) William Thomas Wayment born 29 Apr 1859 died 15 Feb 1943, age 84 8) Martha Wayment born 25 Mar 1863 died 1936, age 73.

Martha and Martha Wayment

“All their children were taught to be responsible and dependable workers. But as one granddaughter, Thora Wayment Shaw stated, “it seemed necessary for them to come to America to develop their full potential.”

“Cambridge was predominantly agricultural, producing wheat and other grains, sugar beets, fruits and vegetables. At an early age, the children hired out to work, working for these farmers in the area.

“Around the age of fourteen, Martha had heard the message of the LDS missionaries and recognized the truth of the gospel. At that point her parents would not allow her to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Especially after some incidents occurred that seemed to involve the missionaries and turned many people living in Cambridgeshire against the Mormons. Although they were convinced of the truth, William and Martha delayed joining the church due to her family’s bitterness and influence in their community.

“Martha and William listened to the messages, the Elders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints brought to the area, of the restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. William became convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel they were preaching and was baptized 28 May 1850. This was not a safe thing to do in those days as many were violently against the preaching of the restored gospel. Martha also opened her home up for place to meet, to share the gospel with other Saints and friends. Between the years of 1853 and 1878, the traveling Elders always found a home with Mrs. Wayment. During that time, their house was used for a meeting house for the Saints. The Elders who traveled in that section of the country always found the family ready to share their meals and beds with them as many can testify.

“Seven years after her husband had embraced the gospel, Martha was baptized on 1 May 1857. Some have criticized Martha for waiting so long to be baptized into the Church, however, she was living in extenuating circumstances. Due to the religious persecutions heaped on the early Saints, they had to meet in secrecy. Martha was one of the first ones to become interested in the restoration of the gospel. When word of her accepting the gospel reached her father in Bassingbourne, he disinherited her, cutting her off with only a few shillings. Her father then used his influence in the Parish to oppose all new members and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, this did not change her mind. Martha’s testimony of its divinity sustained her. She helped set the example and taught their children the principles of the gospel. With her husband, she encouraged her children to join the Church, and all of them were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“In the spring of 1863, Joseph, the oldest son, determined to go to America, to gather with the Saints in Zion. At this time, both him and his father, William, were working in the fossil diggings. (This was work in the peat bogs. Peat is a compact, dark-brown organic material with high carbon content, built up by the partial decay and carbonization of vegetation in the acid water of bogs. Dried peat was and is compressed into briquettes, used in European Countries as fuel, although it is not as efficient as coal because of its large content of water and ash. Peat can also be used for mulching and soil improvement.)

“The family set up a plan and fund for their relocation to the Utah Territory in America. Joseph, the oldest, was first to go. He left 4 June 1863. He was followed by Samuel and his new bride Castina Frances Ann Chapman. They sailed 24 June 1868. Two years after Samuel left, Emily married William Negus. They made their home in Whaddon for the next 12 years. Their sixth child, John Brown completed his preparations, and at age nineteen he left for America on 9 July 1873, aboard the Amazon.

“In 1871, their daughter, Emily and her husband William welcomed their first child, a son they named John. Their joy was short-lived, for when John turned eight-and-a-half months, Emily contracted typhoid fever and developed severe complications. Martha Brown Wayment, took her grandson, John and raised him until he was three years old. At that time, he was returned home to his mother who had finally recovered from her ordeal. Emily was very grateful for the loving help she received from her mother and her sister Martha. Due to the closeness John had developed with his Grandmother Wayment, Emily would often strap pack-baskets on the back of their donkey, where John would ride when they went to visit his grandparents.

“Their son Joseph had sent back to England, a marriage proposal for a local girl. It is likely that Martha gave encouragement to Ann Reed to accept her son’s Joseph’s proposal and join him in the Utah Territory. Ann completed the necessary preparations leaving Liverpool on 24 June 1874.

“It took almost another five years, continued efforts, working in the fossil fields for William and his son William T. to earn enough money for them, along with Martha and young Martha, to emigrate to America. By the spring of 1878, they were making the final preparations to emigrate to Zion. With their savings and some help from their sons in Utah, they booked passage on the ship Nevada, and sailed from Liverpool, England, 25 May 1878. This was fifteen years after theirfirst son, Joseph had emigrated to Utah Territory. After arriving in New York, they boarded a Pullman train which took them to Philadelphia. There they changed to immigrant cars, which were very uncomfortable.

“By rail they arrived in Ogden, Utah Territory, 13 June 1873, and were met by their son’s Joseph and Samuel. William and Martha followed the instructions of the church leaders and settled in the Salt Creek area. They lived with Samuel and Castina while William and William T. built a log house located about a quarter-of-a-mile south of the present corner of 5900 West and 700 North and about 200 yards west of the present county road. There were some trees at that spot, but it was dry and hot. Stumps of these trees marked the spot for many years. William built a bowery next to the house to give a little more shade from the sun. Russian Olive trees grew on this spot for years to give shade to sheep and cattle. Living on the land was a basis to apply later for Homestead rights

“In this new and strange land they had to acclimatize to the semiarid climate. This was indeed a marked change from the verdant area of their home in England. They planted cottonwood trees, yellow roses, tea vines and any other plant that would grow fast. They helped establish the community and met the hardships endured by other families pioneering new homes. Martha Wayment East said, “It was hard work, but we had a good time in our work of making a town.”

“Their daughter Emily, her husband William Negus and their three living children arrived in the fall of 1882. Martha once again rejoiced at having all of her children and grandchildren around her again.

“Martha and William Wayment continued being active in the Church they had learned to love. On 5 January 1883, they traveled to Salt Lake City, where they received their endowments and were sealed in marriage in the Endowment House.

“That spring, William contracted Typhoid fever and succumbed to this decease on 17 May 1883, at age 61 years and 3 days. He left Martha, his beloved wife, four sons and two daughters; Joseph, Samuel, John and William T., Emily W. Negus and Martha Wayment. Also, eighteen grandchildren.

“Martha Brown soon found herself completely alone. Her daughter, Martha, married Edward Marriott. Then her youngest son, William Thomas Wayment, married Maud Mary Bullock 4 July 1883. Daughter Martha was soon divorced from Edward Marriott and moved back home with her Mother. After her daughter returned to teaching school, Martha helped take care of her grandson, Arthur. Her daughter Martha then married David East on 25 December 1885, Arthur spent most of his time living with his grandmother Wayment.

“Martha was able to do her own work and lived near her daughter, Martha for more than twenty years. She continued to enjoy her church meetings, her children and her grandchildren. But she was never without problems.

“Emily’s husband, William Negus, met his death trying to uncouple the double tree to loose the team when the horses floundered in crossing a swollen stream on the North edge of Warren. William Negus drowned along with his horses on 31 March 1890.

“Martha was not idle. On 16 November 1885, she received her citizenship paper. Her husband had applied for his but died before they were granted. In 1886 Martha Brown Wayment received an important document for a land grant. It was, “the original grant of Homestead given to Martha Wayment, widow of William Wayment (deceased). The south east quarter of section two in the township six north range three west of Salt Lake Meridian in Utah Territory, containing 160 acres.” Signed by Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, and dated 18 October 1886. This tract of land is located on the west side of the present road 5900 West and extending from about 300 North then extending west to the Little Weber River. Martha gave four acres of this tract of land to her daughter Martha Wayment East for a home site. The rest of the tract was given to her son, William Thomas Wayment, and used to pasture his horses and cattle. Martha Brown Wayment’s log house was moved north to be nearer her daughter Martha’s home.

“Martha said that in her lifetime, she had read the Bible about one hundred times. She could quote scriptures freely and read the scriptures regularly to some of her grandchildren. She was always faithful and devoted to the Church and taught her children to live the same way. Martha was a very religious person. She read widely of any Church literature available. Her son, William T. said she read all the books he brought back from his mission.

“It was also said of Martha that she had the ability to handle any problems that arose in her family. She could discern and counsel sensitive situations with solutions in a way that helped hold her family together. Her daughter Emily said, “I learned how to keep a clean home and how to cook good meals from my mother.”

“Martha Brown Wayment was an outspoken person. She was described by her grandson, Chester T. Wayment for being set in her ways, but he loved to go to her home, because she always was kind to him. ” She would buy groceries from a traveling ‘grocery man’ and among her purchases was always a bag of gumdrops. Martha would enjoy the sugar off the outside of the gumdrops, then dry the off and feed them to her grandchildren. Chester said, “I ate many of those gumdrops and if I tried not to she would get very angry. She did this to all her grandkids.”

“In her later years, Martha had become very heavy, but she continued to care for most of her needs and enjoyed good health up to the time of her death. On that day, she had been visiting her daughter Emily. While returning home, she saw the traveling grocery wagon heading to her home. She hastened to arrive before him. Arriving about the same time, she told him she would need time to gather her eggs first. Martha used eggs as payment for her groceries. She asks him to come back, so he didn’t have to wait on her while she gathered and cleaned the eggs. When the grocery man returned, he could not find Martha any where, nor did she answer when he called out for her. Later her lifeless body was found in her outhouse (outside toilet). It was determined that she had died of a massive stroke or heart attack. Bishop William L. Stewart had met Martha by the old school house at noon, and reported, “she was walking quite smart,” on the day she died.

“From the Standard, Ogden, Utah, Saturday evening 18 April 1905, Column 2, pg. 7, Vol. 35. MRS. WAYMENT BURIED, The funeral services, over the remains of the late Mrs. Martha Brown Wayment, who died at her home in Warren on Wednesday last, (12 April 1905), were held at the Warren Meeting House at two o’clock yesterday afternoon. (Friday 14 April 1905.)

“”The services were presided over by Bishop William L. Stewart and the ward furnished the music. The speakers were, DR. H.C. Wadman, Frank Barrows, Joseph V. East, Thomas H. Bullock, John F. Burton, George W. Larkin and Bishop Stewart.

“”The speakers eulogized the life of the deceased, referring especially to her religious convictions, her kindly disposition, her affection for her family, and of her true friendship. The meeting house was entirely too small to accommodate the large number of relatives and friends. A large funeral cortege followed the remains to the Plain City Cemetery, where they placed in her last resting place. The grave was dedicated by Joseph H. Folkman.”

“Her death was 12 April 1905. She was laid to rest next to her husband William Wayment in the Plain City Cemetery. She was survived by four sons and two daughters, Joseph, Samuel, John and William T. Wayment, Emily W. Negus Mullen and Martha Wayment. Also, surviving was 46 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. The posterity of William and Martha Brown Wayment now numbers well over two thousand.

“Two recipes brought over from England by our Wayment Grandmother; Martha Brown Wayment.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING, 1 pt. of sifted flour salt, 1 pt. of milk, 4 eggs, Beat well. About 3/4 hour before the roast is done, pour off dripping from the pan-leaving enough to keep pudding from sticking. Bake 3/4 hour.

“OLD ENGLISH MINCE MEAT, 3 lbs. Beef chopped fine, 1 lb. Suet, 10 lbs. Apples (green) chopped, 3 lbs. Raisins, 1 lb. Currents, ½ lb. Lemon peel, ½ lb. Orange peel, ½ lb. Citron, ½ gal. hard cider, 1 tsp. Allspice, 1 tsp. Nutmeg, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, tsp. Cloves, 3 cups Brown sugar, Salt to taste, Boil slowly until fully cooked, then seal in bell jars. Makes about 10 quarts. May let set for a few days to improve flavor.

“Sources; West Warren History 1975, Warren History 1965, Warren History 1995, Database New York passenger lists 1851-1891, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Alma W.& Martha M. Hansen, June Wayment Orton, Mildred Wayment Bird, Bishop William L. Stewart Journal.

Hewitt Photo?

My cousin, Lee Koldewyn, provided this photo to me.  He obtained this photo from his grandparents, Andrew and Maria Hewitt over 50 years ago.  He believes the photo is of family, but is unsure about who.  I offered to post it for him to see if that will give any other leads.

From the face of the photo, it was photographed by H. H. Thomas of Washington Avenue, Ogden, Weber, Utah.  Heber Harris Thomas ran his Washington Avenue shop from the late 1880s to 1909.  He started his shop and was called to serve a mission to the British Isles.  He returned about 1890, so this photo is likely in that time period between 1890 and 1909.

The clothing would definitely point to the 1880s and 1890s, but an older woman into the early 1900s might still be wearing that fashion, so the clothing fits the time period but does not narrow the years.

Lastly, the lady is older in the photo.  At a minimum she is 70, so we are looking for a person that is over her 70th birthday or so during when Thomas was running his studio.

Maria Hewitt is a sister to my Berendena Van Leeuwen Donaldson (1898 – 1959).  Maria Van Leeuwen was born 15 November 1893 in Ogden.  Her parents were George & Harmina Van Leeuwen.  None of Maria’s grandparents made it to Utah from Netherlands to have their photos taken in Thomas’ studio.    I have enough pictures of Harmina Janzen Van Leeuwen (1860-1921) to know that the photo is not of her.  That means we can turn from my Van Leeuwen clan to that of the Hewitt clan.

Of course, we have nothing to say for certain whether this photo is a relative of Andrew George Hewitt, but there is an assumption this person is related to Andrew.

Andrew George Hewitt was born 17 September 1892 in Marriott, Weber, Utah.  His parents were George Joseph Lemuel Hewitt (29 February 1872 – 7 March 1946) and Prudence Ekins (22 May 1862 – 18 November 1948).  While Prudence lived to be 86 years old, her time over 70 is outside the time frame for which Thomas was photographing in Ogden.  She is not a candidate.

George Joseph Lemuel Hewitt’s mother was Clarissa Wilson born 29 April 1836 in Green, Richland, Ohio.  She passed away 18 August 1890 in Ogden.  She died at the age of 54.  I could not locate any photos for her.  While she fits the location, she does not quite fit the correct time frame for the age of the lady in the photo nor is she quite fit the time frame for Thomas’ studio.  Does not seem a likely option.

Prudence Ekins’ mother was Rebecca Burnham born 20 March 1829 in Moulton Seas End, Lincolnshire, England.  She passed away 29 September 1894 in Slaterville, Weber, Utah.  She died at the age of 65 years.  I could locate some photos of her and she was a thin, narrow faced woman.  She does not appear to have any relation to the woman in the photo.  Her location fits, her age is not quite so sure, and Thomas was operative during that time.

That excludes both of Andrew’s grandmothers.  Does he have any great grandmothers who might match?

Clarissa Wilson Hewitt mentioned above was the daughter of Agnes Hunter.  Agnes Hunter Wilson was born 27 December 1811 in Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania.  She died 7 February 1886 in Ogden.  While I could not find out the exact year Thomas opened his studio, there may have been some overlap in time frames.  She died at the age of 74.  The only photos I could locate of her was when she was younger.  A number of features of Agnes could match the woman above, but there were also many distinguishing features.  The nose, mouth, and lines of the younger Agnes Hunter Wilson just do not seem to fully line up.  However, I could maybe be convinced that Agnes was a relative of the lady above.  Here is Agnes Hunter Wilson’s photo from FamilySearch.

Agnes Hunter Wilson (1811 – 1886)

Matching the photos, if this is indeed a photo of Agnes Hunter Wilson, shows similar bone structure, but very different noses and mouths.  I am not convinced these are one and the same, but could they be related.

Agnes had one sister, Mary, but she died in 1878 and could not have been photographed by Thomas.

Comparing the photos of Agnes’ daughters (Clarissa’s sisters) and none of them fit the bill.  I could not find photos of all the sisters and the ones I did do not match the woman at the top.  None of Clarissa’s daughters would have been old enough to be photographed by Thomas.

Ultimately, I am not convinced this is Agnes Hunter Wilson, nor could I find an ancestor of Andrew Joseph Lemuel Hewitt that seemed to match.  Nothing of the family resemblance matches the Van Leeuwen side.

Hopefully I have provided enough information someone could find this post.  Hopefully someone has a similar photo of this woman to make the connection.